


Rocket Family Fluff Ficlets

by StardustFandoms



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Airplanes, Also it’s a bit ooc sometimes, Binge-Watching, Cuddling, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Found Family, Guitars, Hurricanes, IN A PLATONIC WAY!!!, Implied Sexual Content, In This House We Love And Appreciate Wobbuffet, Just a bit though!, Malasadas (Pokemon), Most of the time, Rocket Family Fluff, Sickfic, Sleeping Together, Speech-Writing, Spicy ramen, Stormy Weather, Team Rocket Group Chat, This is Us (TV) - Freeform, With a generous helping of fluff, cause they’re not evil in this, more cuddles, pet collars, procrastination, tags will be added as i go along, thats it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardustFandoms/pseuds/StardustFandoms
Summary: It’s all in the title folks. A series of domestic family-oriented ficlets because I am a slut for the found family trope.**thanks for 72 kudos
Relationships: Kojirou | James & Musashi | Jessie, Kojirou | James & Musashi | Jessie & Rocket-dan Nyarth | Team Rocket Meowth, Kojirou | James/Musashi | Jessie, Rocket-dan Nyarth | Team Rocket Meowth & Satoshi no Pikachu | Ash Ketchum's Pikachu
Comments: 44
Kudos: 98





	1. Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> So multiple things:  
> 1\. All of these take place in Kanto after the events of Pokémon Journeys. Unless its a flashback. Also, Team Rocket as an organization no longer exists/was dissolved/taken down at some point in the past  
> 2\. Concerning the status of my other rocketshipping fic, I’m working on it. However, it is at the bottom of my priority barrel I am so sorry.  
> 3\. My schedule is KILLING me so updates will be sporadic from now until winter break. I consider chapters 4 and 5 to be the unofficial “end” of the series and everything else I write happened before it. I will also be going back at one point in the future to edit everything because they desperately need it.  
> 4\. If anyone still reads these, I would stay tuned for a special treat after November!

The first time it happened, it had been a survival strategy. They’d crash landed on the snowy peaks of the Sinnoh region. Their balloon was nowhere to be found and night was approaching rapidly and, to make matters worse, it had begun to snow. Luckily, the team had managed to locate a cave, but it was barely a place to shelter from the frostbitten winds. They were starved, injured, and weak. The situation was looking quite grim, both Jessie and James offered to “catch” Meowth, which would allow him to spend the night comfortably inside a Pokéball, though Meowth didn’t exactly know how comfortable they actually were, and he didn’t want to find out either. As tempting as the offers sounded, Meowth decided he would rather tough it out alongside his friends. James tried pushing a bit harder, but a subtle reprimand from Jessie was enough to disparage his resolve. 

Meowth curled up as tightly into a ball as he could muster, curling his tail over his head at an attempt to conserve warmth. Still, even through his layers of fur and the measly winter outfit they had managed to find him, he was still shivering violently. Jessie and James had already taken their usual place in each other's arms, though this time, it felt much more urgent. Their legs were tangled together, and Jessie’s head was buried in James’ chest. They both were shivering too yet, they looked so...warm. Meowth felt a pang of envy creep into his heart. Why was he always the one left behind? Meowth shifted, turning away from the pair, shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts. There was no point in having them, anyways. He was about to try and see if he could fathom some sleep, when he heard James’ voice calling him from behind. Meowth turned his head to face them once more. Both Jessie and James were staring at him through the waning light. James extended a hand towards him, which Meowth eyed surreptitiously. Was he...? Meowth sat up, walking on all fours up to the pair but hesitating at the last second.

“Are you sure”? 

James brought his hand back and scooped Meowth in, causing the feline to let out a small yowl in surprise. Now he was sandwiched in between the two, not quite sitting on Jessie’s lap but not on James’ either. His back paws ended up wedged between Jessie’s calves. Or were they James’? He didn’t care. Jessie curled an arm around him and pushed him closer to her, so that she was able to comfortably lay her head on James’ shoulder. 

Meowth had never been this close to his partners before. To anyone before. He could hear Jessie’s heartbeat thumping loudly in his ear. He could feel James’ shaky breath as he struggled to keep his shivers at bay. But most of all, he felt warm. He felt a flame of tenderness ignite in his soul, fanned by the kindness these two humans had showed him. He felt this warmth spread from his chest to his entire body and suddenly their little predicament couldn’t seem farther from his mind. And then he purred. It started out soft, barely noticeable and could be passed off as a simple stirring. But slowly, it grew stronger and louder and soon the entire cave echoed with the sound. Meowth didn’t know whether he should be embarrassed, but he was too tired to be, either way. It wasn’t long after that until the cave was filled with soft snoring that intertwined with the purrs and the swirling wind. The next morning, the three of them swore that it would never happen again.

~

“Why is it so cold in here”? Jessie mumbled as she climbed into bed, making sure to pull the fluffy duvet all the way over her shoulders. 

“Couldn’t fix the heater, I’ll get another one tomorrow”. James replied, tossing her an extra blanket from the closet.

“Thanks, dear”. Jessie cooed sweetly before promptly yelling at Meowth.

“Meowth, close that damn fridge you’re making colder in here”!

The faint light from the fridge was gone in an instant, and a few moments later Meowth walked in the room, closing the door behind him.

“It was empty, anyways”. He announced before hopping up on top of the bed.

“Want one too, Meowth”? James asked, pulling out another blanket. It was covered in cartoon Pikachus and Eevees.

Meowth waved his paw in the air. “Nah, I’m fine”, he said, curling up into a ball at the foot of the bed. “I’ve been through worse”.

“Are you sure, Meowth? It’s awfully cold tonight”. James asked again, closing the closet with the blanket in hand and sliding into bed.

Meowth once again waved his paw, before tucking his tail in front of his face. James shrugged and began to spread the blanket over himself. Jessie stared silently at the feline for a while. James was too busy setting up the blanket just the way he liked it to notice anything, but she did. The way Meowth curled his tail over his head. Meowth only did that when he was cold. 

“Meowth, come here”.

“Huh”? Came the sounds from both Meowth and James, who had finally managed to get the long side of the blanket. 

“I said come here”. Jessie repeated, sternly.

“Hey, I ain’t one of your little poke-OI"! Meowth wasn’t allowed to finish his sentence before being snatched up by Jessie and plopped right in the middle of her and James. Before he could even catch his breath, the duvet was over him and Meowth knew he’d lost.

“There. Meowth, you’re clearly cold. Why did you refuse the blanket?” Jessie started to interrogate him but was stopped by James, who had a naughty glint in his eye.

“I think I know why, Jess”.  
Meowth could hear the smirk on his face. He remembered. He remembered everything that happened in the cave. They would never let him live it down, would they? He walked straight into this one, didn’t he? The scratch cat tried to get away. He pawed aimlessly at the bed, halfheartedly trying to slip out of the duvet. But the heat was just so...enticing. And it was so cold outside. So, so cold. He could already feel the flame sparking.

It took Jessie a few seconds to remember, it happened so long ago, and she was half sure it had been a dream. But now, she remembered almost perfectly what had gone down. They had been forced to huddle together for warmth, and Meowth had done something odd. He had purred. That was the only time she had ever seen him do that, in all their years together. Could it be? She smirked; this was going to be fun.

“I know exactly why”.

She started out by running her hand down Meowth’s back, chuckling at the small meow that followed. Soon, James followed, settling his hand at the top of feline’s head. Each pet chipped more and more away from Meowth’s already frail resolve. They all knew it was only a matter of time before he caved.

“Meow, stop, please”. Meowth protested weakly. He was so desperately trying to keep the warmth at bay. It would be too embarrassing. Then, James scratched just the right place in between Meowth’s ears, and he melted.

“Meoooowth.” Was all he managed to say as the sound of satisfied purring filled the room.

Jessie and James smiled evilly at each other; their mission accomplished. They kept petting the poor, embarrassed scratch cat until Jessie’s yawn spread contagiously throughout the room. But when the pair removed their hands, Meowth pushed up against Jessie’s side, desperate for more contact.

“Gee, Meowth, never took you for the cuddler type”. Jessie teased, petting Meowth one last time. 

James sidled closer to Jessie and tossed an arm around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her hair before laughing softly.

“Do you think he’ll even remember this in the morning?” James asked jokingly.

“Yes, he will”. Came the dazed response from below.

The pair looked under the duvet to find a very flustered Meowth staring up at them with glossy eyes. He crawled up so that his head was poking from underneath the duvet. Immediately, he was hit with the frigid bedroom air that made him want to dive back in.

“Meowth, I still don’t understand, why don’t you like to purr? It seems like something all cat Pokémon would enjoy”. Jessie asked, making the scratch cat blush even harder.

“W-well, it's not that I don’t like to purr. It’s just that I didn’t think you two would want to make me do such a thing. And if you did, then it would only be to l-laugh at me”. Meowth confessed, fidgeting with his paws.

An uncomfortable tension settled over the trio after this. Jessie and James were both still trying to process their friend’s confession, and Meowth was still trying to beat down the remaining flames. The two humans understood Meowth’s hesitancy to a degree. For the better part of their partnership they were nothing more than simple teammates. However, times change, hearts grow fonder, and shared experiences solidified the team into something more. Something they had all craved for a long time. A family.

James was the first to break the silence. “Meowth, I know we haven’t always been the kindest to you in the past, but I had hoped that after everything we’ve been through, you would be a bit more trusting of us.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust ya or anything!” The scratch cat said quickly. 

“It’s just...” Meowth’s blush got impossibly deeper.

“Before you guys, every other person who’d touched me had done so to hurt me.” Meowth said softly, his voice quivering.

Jessie’s heart nearly broke at the sight. All of them had suffered through the worst life had to offer. But none of them really shared too much about it unless they had to, so apart from knowing he was a stray before being recruited for Team Rocket, she didn’t really know much about her friend’s past. She knew what it was like to be alone on the streets, and to constantly be hurt by those who were supposed to care for her. 

“Oh, Meowth!” In a rare show of genuine emotion, Jessie threw her arms around the scratch cat and pulled him into a hug.

Much like that day on the mountain, Meowth could hear Jessie’s heart thump. A firm reminder that she did, in fact, have one. Even if she kept it hidden away from the world most of the time and only let it shine in quiet moments such as these. Almost automatically, his own heart was moved, and the flames flared back to life. But this time Meowth didn’t try to hold them back anymore. The sound of Meowth’s contented purring once again echoed throughout the room.

Lulled by the thumping of his beloved friend’s heart, and the delicious warmth of the fluffy duvet, Meowth soon found himself drifting off into a deep, wonderful sleep.

~

The next morning, Meowth woke up feeling like a million Pokédollars. As usual, he woke up a few hours before the others did. On any other day, the scratch cat would normally take this time to go out for a stroll and find a quiet place to play the guitar. But today wasn’t any other day. Meowth hadn’t even finished opening his eyes when a wave of frigid air hit him square in the face, sending a chill down his spine. 

Instinctively, he sidled closer to Jessie, seeking out her warmth. It seemed, he realized, that he had fallen asleep in her arms. He felt a warm gust of air on his forehead and looked up to see James’ snoozing face resting on top of Jessie’s head. His ears twitched as James breath tickled them.

“It’s awfully cold, today.”. He thought, burrowing deeper under the covers. “Maybe I should stay for just a little while longer...”  
And with that, he shifted, and promptly fell back asleep.


	2. Collar

“What’s that?”

Jessie looked nervously at Meowth, who was eyeing the small white shopping bag she had in her hands suspiciously. She instinctively clutched it closer to herself, trying to get it out of reach of the scratch cat.

“It’s n-nothing”. Jessie stuttered, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Don’t lie to me, Jess. I wasn’t born yesterday. Now, what’s in the bag?” Meowth retorted to her blatantly obvious fib.

“I think we both know what’s in this bag”. Jessie said softly, a slight quiver in her voice.

“I believe so.” Meowth responded and unsheathed his claws.

Jessie gulped.

“Meowth, list-“ Jessie started but was cut off by a very irritated sounding Meowth.

“No, you listen. I already told ya I ain’t wearing that. You two bozos have made me wear some pretty ridiculous things over the years, but a pet collar is where I draw the line! I ain’t nobody’s house Meowth.”

Meowth waved his claws in front of Jessie as he spoke, causing her to flinch backwards. She really didn’t feel like getting a face full of Fury Swipes today. Jessie took a deep breath and steeled her resolve before speaking.

“We know, Meowth. But if you keep going out without some sort of ID, someone’s bound to try and catch you again.” 

“Heh, let em’ try,” Meowth scoffed. “The only thing they’re gonna catch are these claws, and that’s the same thing you’re gonna get if ya don’t back off.” Meowth growled, his claws getting impossibly longer.

“While I have full faith in your ability to use Fury Swipes, you aren’t exactly the most powerful Pokémon out there. And as you know, many trainers would love to have a talking Meowth on their team. We just think it would be a lot safer if you just-“ Jessie was once again cut off by Meowth.

“I don’t care what you two think! Y’all ain’t my trainers!” Meowth yelled, thrashing his claws around, almost catching Jessie’s leg as she scrambled to move away from the agitated scratch cat.

Jessie took another deep breath. Why had she been cursed with the most dramatic Pokémon headquarters had available? Jessie decided to wait until the Pokémon’s tantrum passed before approaching the pouting Meowth again.

“You’re right, we’re not your trainers. But I like to think we’re your friends. And as your friends, all we want is to keep you safe.”  
“Huh?” Meowth’s claws retracted just a tiny bit.

Jessie smiled. Their plan was working. 

“What would we do if someone caught you? Like you said, you’re not our Pokémon. We would have no way of finding you, and you’d be doomed to a life of servitude to some twerpish brat.”

“That’ll never happen.” Meowth stated plainly.

“But what if it did? We would miss you. Who’s going to translate Pokéspeech to us? Or help us end our motto? And wouldn’t you miss us?” Jessie lamented.

“‘Course I’d miss you two lugs. You’re the only family I’ve ever known.” Meowth relented, sheathing his claws.

Jessie felt a pang of guilt for what she was about to do after hearing Meowth’s confession. But, it had to be done, for his own good. 

Jessie kneeled down and spread her arms wide open. “Aw, bring it in, old pal!”

Meowth, the affection-starved fool that he was, walked right into the Pyroar’s mouth.

“JAMES, NOW!”

Jessie quickly grabbed Meowth’s paws and held the struggling scratch cat down as James secured a red collar to his neck. As soon as it was on, the two let go of the Pokémon and quickly dashed to the other side of the room, eager to celebrate their victory.

“Great acting, Jess. He didn’t suspect a thing.” James praised, lacing his fingers through hers.

“Of course, I am a world class actress, after all.” She bragged, her cheeks tinting a slight pink.

It took them a few moments to remember their feline companion, who was frantically trying to cut the collar away with a flurry of Fury Swipes.

“You can stop trying, that collar was made for Galarian Meowth, you’ll never get it off.” James said, flopping down on the couch.

“I ain’t never stoppin’. Not until this damned thing is off.” Meowth said through gritted teeth, now trying to pull it off using his hind paws.

“Listen to James, Meowth. It’s better for all of us if you just accepted defeat.” Jessie sighed, sitting next to James and curling into him.

Upon hearing Jessie’s voice, Meowth stopped trying to take off the collar and jumped on the couch, pointing one long claw 3 inches from Jessie’s face. The tag on the collar jingled slightly at the sudden movement. Meowth’s ear twitched in annoyance at the sound.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t destroy your chances of ever finding a decent looking husband.” Meowth snarled.

“Oi-“ James started to protest but was cut off a shush from both Jessie and Meowth. Considering he, too, was within slashing distance, he thought it best to just let it go and remain quiet.

“Oh please, Meowth, drop the dramatics. It’s not like wearing it is going to kill you. If you decide to stop acting like a baby about it then you’d only have to wear it when you go out. But since it took a whole lot of scheming to get that thing on you, that collar isn’t coming off anytime soon.” Jessie dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

“Grrrr, that’s it!” Meowth yelled before swinging his paw backwards to strike. However, before he could, Wobbuffet, who had been silently watching the day’s events unfold, grabbed his paw.

“L-let me go!” Meowth struggled to pull his paws away from the Pokémon. For a blue blob of jelly, he had quite some grip strength.

“Wobba!” He said, releasing Meowth from his embrace.

“I don’t care if she’s ya trainer! She could be the president of the whole damn world and she still don’t have the right to treat me like this!”

“Buffet.”

“I already told them I can take care of myself! What happened a week ago was a fluke, how was I supposed to know that was a level 100 Magikarp!”

Meanwhile, the two humans were bemusedly watching the Pokémon, wondering what Wobbuffet was saying but not brave enough to ask Meowth for a translation.

“Wobbuffet!” The blob yelled, sounding exasperated. So much for “the patient Pokémon”.

“Yowch, geez, didn’t have to go there, pal.” Meowth said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Ok, now I really want to know what he’s saying.” Jessie whispered to James, who nodded in agreement.

Meowth turned to the duo and sighed. “He’s sayin’ that I shouldn’t think of the collar as a sign of ownership, but instead as a sign that I have people who care for me.” Meowth turned back around to face Wobbuffet. “Them real nice words for someone who’s never lived a day out in the streets alone.” Meowth scoffed and crossed his arms. 

“But he’s right, Meowth,” James spoke up. “Have you even read what the collar says?”

“Huh?” The scratch cat had been too busy trying to take the collar off to even notice any of the details.

It was a bright red Meowth collar, clearly made of a tough, leather-like fabric that would resist even the strongest of Fury Swipes. But, it didn’t chafe or itch. And it was snug, but not too tight. In fact, if it weren’t for the constant jingle of the tag whenever the Pokémon moved, he wouldn’t even notice that it was there. Speaking of the tag, Meowth took it in his paw and maneuvered it to make it easier for him to read.

“If you find this highly intelligent, highly annoying, talking Meowth, he isn’t lost or wild, He’s just out for a stroll.” Meowth read under his breath.

“Where on there does it say that we own you in any way, shape or form?” Jessie asked, annoyed.

Meowth looked down, a slight blush tinting his cheeks.

Jessie stared at Meowth, her heart softening a little. Of course, she would never say it, but she loved her little scratch cat companion. And she knew that, much like her, Meowth had grown up on the streets, envying those who had something they never had; a family. But now, they too, had a family. He shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed of displaying that. Maybe, she had made Meowth feel a little bad earlier by using his emotions against him. Just maybe, she should apologize. Maybe.

Jessie opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when Meowth hopped into her lap.

“I’m sorry, Jess. You guys are just lookin’ out for me. I guess I can swallow my pride, just this once.” Meowth said softly as he curled up in Jessie’s lap. Automatically, her hand came to rest on his back and she began to aimlessly pet him.

“I’m sorry too, Meowth. It was slightly cruel of me to trick you like that and, even though it came out sappier than I expected, I meant everything I said.” Jessie relented.

“Really?” Meowth asked, turning to look at the pair.

“Of course, old pal, we couldn’t bear the thought of having you taken away from us.” James stated sincerely, bring a hand to pet the space between Meowth’s ears.

“Oh, Jimmy, you always know exactly where to scratch.” Meowth groaned, beginning to purr. 

“Tell me about it.” Jessie snorted, only to be swatted 5 seconds later by Meowth.

“You’re disgusting.”

“Oh dear.” James mumbled under his breath, blushing bright red.

“Buffet!”

The trio turned to look at their forgotten blue friend.

“He says he wants pets, too. Yeah, well, get your own humans.” Meowth dismissed him with a wave of his paw.

“Wob.”

“Yeah, well I was here first, so back off.”

“Don’t be mean, Meowth.” James scolded. “Though, I don’t know how exactly we’re gonna f-“

Clearly, Wobbuffet had thought about the last part, because James didn’t even have time to finish his sentence before the Pokémon had already pushed Meowth off Jessie’s lap and taken his place. 

“Hey, what gives! I was there first!” Meowth exclaimed in outrage, climbing onto James’ lap instead.

“Wobba wobba!”

“What’d he say that time?” Jessie asked, struggling to comfortably place the Pokémon on her lap.

“He says that since you’re his trainer, he has more right to your lap than I do! The audacity!” Meowth said indignantly before curling up on James’ lap.

“Wobbuffet!”

The banter between Meowth and Wobbuffet continued for a while, eventually fading out into a comfortable silence. The sound of satisfied purring filled the room. It took about 10 minutes of pets for Wobbuffet to fall asleep, being returned to his Pokéball shortly after. Meowth followed, and was carried to the foot of their bed by Jessie. 

“He looks so cute when he’s asleep.” James whispered to Jessie as they slipped into bed.

“We should have bought him the one with the bow.”

~

Epilogue

“It’s 2 in the morning, Pikachu, what’s wrong?” Ash groaned and rubbed his eyes as he fumbled through the hallway.

“Pika!” Pikachu exclaimed as he scratched at the door like an impatient Growlithe.

“Why do you want to go outside at this h- Meowth!?” Suddenly, Ash was wide awake when he opened the door to find Meowth standing there.

The scratch cat ran inside on four legs, something Ash had never seen the Pokémon do, in all the time they had known each other. Meowth bolted toward Pikachu and tried his best to cower behind the yellow mouse.

“Pika?”

“You’ve got to hide me, please! I’ll do anything! Anything! Just don’t let them get me!” Meowth cried.

Ash quickly shut the door behind him and kneeled down, his face full of worry.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Where are Jessie and James?” 

Before Meowth could respond, there was a knock on the door.

Ash looked at Meowth, then at the door, before getting up and walking to look through the peephole. Relieved, he opened the door.

“No-!” Meowth yelled but cut himself off as the door opened.

Ash opened the door just enough so that Meowth and Pikachu were out of view, which gave Meowth some time to quickly whisper his situation to Pikachu, who nodded his head in understanding.

Just outside the door stood two very exhausted looking Jessie and James, holding a white pet collar with a large red bow on it. Ash stared at them in confusion and pity.

“Have you seen Meowth anywhere?” Jessie asked, the annoyance and exhaustion prominent in her voice.

“Uhh...” Ash looked behind the door at Pikachu and Meowth, who were both making gestures for him to say no. He was about to answer their question when Pikachu stepped on Meowth’s tail.

“ME-OUCH!” Meowth exclaimed before he could stop himself. 

Giving up entirely, Ash swung the door wide open. “Look guys, I don’t know what’s going on here, but please leave me out of it.” 

“No, please, Ash! Pikachu! Please don’t let them take me!” Meowth tried to run, but Jessie was faster. She launched herself onto the scratch cat and grabbed him, making sure to stay away from the Fury Swipes.

“Gotcha, you little sh...angel.” Jessie stopped herself when she realized Ash was there.

“We’re so sorry for bothering you. Please forgive us.” James apologized profusely as they started to leave.

But Meowth wasn’t going down without a fight. As he was being walked out, he grabbed the doorframe with his claws.

“No, please! Don’t let them take me, please!” Meowth cried desperately.

Pikachu hopped up to Meowth and put a paw on his.

“Chu..”

“Thanks, pal, that means a lot.” Meowth said, letting his guard down just enough so the combined efforts of Jessie and James could pull him away from the doorframe, leaving claw marks across the wood.

“No, wait, stop! Please! Don’t do this to me!” Meowth cries became fainter as he was dragged back home.

Ash quickly closed the door and turned around to face Pikachu.

“Pi?”

“Next time one of your friends needs help in the middle of the night deal with it yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments if you want a prequel to know what exactly happened with Meowth and the level 100 Magikarp.


	3. Plane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is definitely my favorite one, and the one that took the most effort. I mean, it’s legit 5 in the morning. Anyways you may not see an update soon cause the next chapters are two parters and I’ll be working extra hard on them. After that however I’d expect weekly updates for a bit until I run out of ideas.

“I’m exhausted.” James groaned as he let his head fall on top of Jessie’s.

The family was currently on the night plane back to Kanto after spending a few days in Alola to visit Bewear. It had been a fairly short trip, as that was all they could afford, but it still left them feeling drained.

“Wobbuffet!”

“I told you not to have that many lemonades before we left.” Meowth scolded halfheartedly as he lay draped across Jessie and James’ laps. 

“Wobba!” The Pokémon insisted, waving his hands in the air.

“You deal with this, Meowth.” Jessie sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

“Why me? He’s your Pokémon!” Meowth protested, not wanting to get up.

Sensing an impending argument, James decided to volunteer.

“I’ll go, just promise to keep the squabbling to a minimum, please.” James said, his head pounding from the after effects of Mareanie’s poison, which he had encountered many, many times during the span of their vacation.

He gently slided the scratch cat off his lap and onto Jessie’s, before shuffling away to the back of the plane with Wobbuffet in tow.

The two Rockets left behind maintained their current positions for a few seconds, to make sure James was out of earshot, before making their move. Meowth jumped off Jessie’s lap and onto the floor to reach for James’ carry-on. Once he got it, he quickly unzipped it and groped around inside until he found his prize; a bag of malasadas.

Clutching the bag proudly, he hopped onto James’ empty seat and opened the bag. Inside were 4 honey malasadas, one for each of them. James had clearly said when he bought them that he was saving them for breakfast when they got home in the morning. But technically it was morning, and Jessie and Meowth were starving. So when the opportunity came up, they took it. Grabbing the biggest ones, Meowth gave one to Jessie and began happily munching away on the tasty nostalgic treat. They were almost done wolfing down their illicit breakfast when they heard James’ distinct proper voice fast approaching.

“Next time, try not to drink 5 lemonades before the plane takes off, okay?”

“Buffet!”

The two swallowed the rest of their malasadas and tossed the bag back into James’ backpack before sliding it back under the seat, not even bothering to zip it up. Meowth quickly climbed back up on Jessie’s lap and took his previous position.  
After waiting for Wobbuffet to shuffle over to the window seat, James sat down and didn’t even look at them.

“You ate the malasadas, didn’t you?”

“I-, Well, erm...” Jessie stuttered, blushing a light pink after being caught so fast. Had it really been that obvious?

“We’re literally sitting 4 rows away from the bathroom.”

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.” Meowth chuckled awkwardly.

James rubbed the bridge of his nose, his headache growing considerably.

“If you’re going to be sneaky, at least do it right. Hand me a malasada. And give the other one to Wobbuffet.” James said, annoyance very present in his voice.

“Aye aye.” Meowth responded, already getting up.

“Wobba!” The blue Pokémon exclaimed, a tad too loud for James’ taste. He just had to book the early morning flight, didn’t he?  
Wobbuffet pointed at the small television in front of his seat excitedly. It appeared to be playing some sort of cartoon.

“You wanna watch it?” Meowth asked as he gave him a malasada.

“Wobba Wobba!” The Pokémon nodded rapidly.

Meowth reached into the seat pocket and grabbed the pair of complimentary headphones. He plugged it in and gave the pair to Wobbuffet. The blue blob eagerly put it on and happily took a bite out of his malasada.

“That should keep him entertained for a while, at least.” James muttered under his breath. He was about to take a bite out of his malasada when Jessie snatched it out of his hand.

“Hey, what giv-oomph!” James tried to protest but was shut up by Jessie shoving the malasada in his mouth.

He took a large bite out of it, reveling in the delicious taste and the even sweeter memories of his time in Alola.

“Thanks, dear.” James said, his mouth still full.

“Don’t mention it. Sorry for ruining your breakfast plans, we just couldn’t help ourselves.” Jessie said, feeding her partner the last of the malasada.

James shrugged, too busy enjoying his precious breakfast to respond.

Now with their bellies full, the trio decided this would be the perfect time to get some shuteye before having to deal with the stress of another busy airport. Meowth curled up in between Jessie and James, so that both humans could pet him comfortably. Jessie’s head slumped back onto James’ shoulder and he delicately placed his on top of hers. James’ free hand searched clumsily for Jessie’s, instead bumping into something that was definitely not Jessie’s hand.

“James, dearest, this isn’t the time nor the place for that.” Jessie snickered, gently guiding his hand away from her body and threading her fingers through his.

“Aw, c’mon Jimmy! I’m right here!” 

Meowth yowled in distaste, shuffling a few centimeters away from him.

Jessie felt the heat of the large blush that had creeped onto James’ face and almost giggled. She knew it had been an accident, but a chance to tease her easily flustered partner was one she would always take. 

“T-that was an accident! Jess, I-...Oh, forget it.“ James stuttered weakly before giving up, too tired to even defend himself.

After this unfortunate incident for James, things began to calm down for a while. Surrounded by the warmth of his best friends and the soft droning of the small air vent Jessie insisted they leave on, James felt himself slowly drifting away into a dreamless slumber. Of course, this peace and quiet could never last.

“Wobba Wobbuffet!” Their blue friend suddenly exclaimed loudly at something said on the TV, causing the three of them to jump up in their seats.

“Wobbuffet, keep it down!” Jessie  
whispered angrily, reaching over to poke the blob.

“Buffet.” The Pokémon said apologetically.

“Could he be any louder?” Meowth covered his ears with his paws and groaned.

“Don’t say that, you’ll encourage him.” James responded, feeling the tendrils of his headache return.

“Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We’re about to experience a little patch of turbulence ahead, so we ask that everyone return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.” The airplane’s loudspeaker announced unexpectedly, causing a wave of murmurs throughout the cabin.

While the team was no stranger to turbulence, having experienced quite a fair share of it with their old balloon, it did make sleeping a lot harder. James eyes rolled in aggravation and he brought his hands up to his temples, massaging them gingerly.

“Well that’s just great, isn’t it? Meowth, get in the crate.” Jessie commanded, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“What, no! You know I hate it in there, especially if it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Just put Wobbuffet into his Pokéball.”

“Wobba Wobba!” The aforementioned Pokémon cried and shook his head, not wanting to stop watching his precious cartoons.

“C’mon, Meowth. Be the bigger Pokémon.” James groaned through closed eyes.

“Fine. Just make sure to get me a Soda Pop when the flight attendant passes by.” Meowth grumbled as he climbed off of Jessie’s lap and into the pet carrier under her seat. 

Before Jessie could close the kennel door, a paw reached out and grabbed the magazine Jessie had placed in her seat pocket for later reading.

“Hey, give it back!” Jessie said, trying to snatch it away. Meowth quickly closed the door and laughed evilly.

Deciding it was a lost cause, Jessie sat up and sighed. The plane jumped, reminding Jessie to fasten her seatbelt, but not before turning around and helping Wobbuffet with his. When she was done, she rested her cheek on her fist and pouted. It hadn’t even been 5 minutes and she was already bored. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t read her magazine, and couldn’t even pretend to go to the bathroom to stretch her legs. Her eyes wandered aimlessly around the cabin. Most people traveling seemed to be alone, probably businesspeople catching an early meeting. There were a few families, though. One of them had a Yanma, which reminded her of her own.

The plane jolted sharply upwards, and Meowth’s carrier bumped the bottom of Jessie’s seat. And the carrier bumped Meowth’s head, too, apparently.

“Yeowch! Stupid damn carrier...” Cursed the voice from below.

Jessie chuckled a little and tapped the side of the kennel lightly with her foot. 

“Serves you right.”

After this brief moment of entertainment, Jessie went back to staring at the Yanma. Eventually, that bored her as well, so her eyes flicked to the television. Her screen was playing the same thing as Wobbuffet’s, and while children’s cartoons wasn’t really something she enjoyed, she was too lazy to change the channel. Figuring it was better than nothing, Jessie leaned over and searched her seat pocket for headphones. Finding them and plugging them in, she put them on and tried to piece together the plot.

It seemed to be a show about kids taking care of creatures called “animals” that seemed to be based off Pokémon. One of the girls had a Cat, which looked a lot like a Meowth, just without the coin. Another had a Dog that looked like a large Rockruff. While she could see the inspiration behind many of these “animals”, there were some that were completely foreign to her, like the Dolphin, or the Platypus. The kids traveled the world with their partners, though they didn’t battle or catch more “animals”. They were perfectly content with just watching them from afar. In fact, many of them were afraid of large, powerful “animals” like the Lion, a Pyroar lookalike. 

“They wouldn’t be very good Pokémon trainers.” Jessie thought.

While the show did entertain her for a while, it got a bit repetitive. Especially since the villains always somehow failed to capture the main character’s Mouse, which looked suspiciously like a weirdly colored Pikachu.

When the episode ended, Jessie looked for the remote and changed the channel to a Pokémon Contest in the Sinnoh region.

“Now that’s more like it.” Jessie smiled and thought.

She seemed to have tuned in right in the middle of a battle, where a Delphox was aiming several graceful Flamethrowers at a terrified Leafeon. The Leafeon fainted after a few more waves of the move, and was carried away by a purple haired trainer.

“Wow, would you look at that, folks!  
Another flawless performance by the Kalos Queen runner-upper, Serena!” The announcer said excitedly as the camera panned to the winner of the battle.

“The twerpette?!” Jessie exclaimed, louder than she had anticipated.

“Shhh. Not you too, Jess.” Meowth scolded, poking her legs with the magazine.

“Sorry...” She mumbled halfheartedly before raising the volume on the TV to a solid 10 to block out any unwanted commentary from talking Pokémon.

“So that’s where she went.” She thought, narrowing her eyes at the screen.

She didn’t really care for the next battle, only wanting it to be to over so they could get to the finals. After what seemed like an eternity of the losing trainer spamming Sleep Powder, Serena finally came back onto the stage. She looked different, Jessie noticed. Her hair had grown out again, and she looked older and more experienced.  
Serena sent out her Sylveon in a heart-themed Pokéball capsule, while her opponent sent out a Lopunny in a star-themed capsule. Immediately, the Lopunny used Attract, trying to get the upper hand, only to realize that Serena’s Sylveon is a female. Using her opponent’s error to her advantage, Serena orders Sylveon to use Fairy Wind over and over again, similar to how she defeated the Leafeon. However, this trainer was clearly much more experienced than the one she faced before, because before long the Lopunny bolted out of reach from the Fairy Wind and used Swift. Sylveon quickly countered with her own Swift, causing both beams of stars to collide and rain stardust across the field. The audience went wild over this, and even Jessie had to admit it had a pretty cool effect.

The Lopunny then tried to use a High Jump Kick, which was blocked off by Protect. Without skipping a beat, Serena has Sylveon use wave after wave of Fairy Wind on her opponent once more. Weakened by the failed High Jump Kick, the Lopunny is unable to dash away this time and faints.

Serena waves to the audience as they clap and cheer for her. Sylveon stands proudly by her side, feelers tying around her wrists in a show of affection. As she is handed her ribbon, Jessie can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Even if she doesn’t regret giving up her career as a Coordinator to stay with James and Meowth, she still wonders from time to time what it would have been like to have stayed in Sinnoh. Meowth would probably still be working at the noodle shop. James would have been assigned a new partner and Pokémon. Or maybe, he would have taken her up on her suggestion to go back to his family and Jessebelle. Jessie’s anger flares up just thinking about her and what she did to her dear partner. The thought of having him go back to her...

Jessie shook her head. She didn’t need to worry about what might’ve been, because the man she loved was sitting right next to her, far away from that monster’s clutches. She searched for James hand, wanting reassurance, only to find that his hand was limp. When she looked away from the TV and over to James, she realized that her exhausted lover had fallen asleep, even through all of the turbulence. Jessie smiled tenderly and gently lowered his head onto her shoulder. His breath tickled her neck, and she hardly held back a giggle. She had meant to tell him that his resistance to Mareanie’s poison had worn off over time, but it’s not like he would have listened, anyways. 

Jessie realized neither him, nor Wobbuffet were wearing their seatbelts, which meant that an announcement must have been made that they were free to walk around the cabin again. Which also meant...

“Meowth? Meowth, you can come up now.” Jessie said, slipping her headphones off.

No response.

“Meowth?” She asked again, hoping for an answer.

Still, silence.

“Huh, guess he fell asleep.” Jessie said to herself, her leg grazing by the pet carrier.

Jessie looked to Wobbuffet, her eyes closed in a cheery grin.

“Well, guess it’s just you and-“ Jessie opened her eyes to find that her Pokémon had also fallen asleep, his head resting on the window.

“Me..” She finished with a sigh.

Awkwardly, she positioned James back onto his own seat so that she was able to reach over and take Wobbuffet’s headphones off. She unplugged both of theirs and tossed them into the nearest seat pocket. After completing this task, she resumed her previous position as James’ makeshift pillow. Seeing her entire family asleep caused Jessie herself to yawn groggily and shift to a more comfortable angle. If she was able to look past Wobbuffet’s huge, blue head, she could actually see the dusty orange of the sun beginning to rise from behind the clouds. This meant that in a few short hours they would be back home. While Kanto would always be their home, and she would always have a special place in her heart for Alola and the friends they had made there, the place where she truly belonged was here. With her family.  
~

Epilogue

James turned the key and unlocked the door to their apartment, eager to get inside and sleep for a million years. He finally got the door open and went to turn on the light, but turns out he didn’t have to.

“Surprise! Welcome Home!” Ash and Gou yelled in tandem.

“Pika!”

The rockets all jumped back in alarm, Meowth even unsheathing his claws. When their sleep deprived minds finally realized what was going on, they were taken aback. They had left Ash a key to come by every few days to make sure everything was okay, but they had never expected them to do anything like this. Their entire apartment was covered in balloons and streamers. The dining room table was full of snacks and PokéPuffs and there was even a cake decorated with candy Meowth and Wobbuffet. And hanging above all of that was a giant banner that said “Alola, Kanto!”

“W-what’s all this?” Jessie said, breathless.

“Well, we thought that since you guys had been looking forward to this trip so badly, we would welcome you back with a party to make your trip end in an extra special way!” Gou said cheerfully, handing Jessie and James a plate full of Pikachu-shaped cheese and crackers. But Meowth wasn’t having any of it.

“Ok, what’d you guys break?”

“Nothing!” They both answered quickly, laughing nervously.

“Anyways,” Ash said, changing the topic. 

“Did you bring it?” He asked James, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

“Ahh, no. We ate them on the way back. Sorry, old chum.” James shrugged, a smile forming on his lips.

“Oh.” Ash looked down, his face fallen.  
“I should have known. Once a villain, always a villain.” Ash said softly before James shoved a bag of malasadas in his hands.

“Tsk tsk, twerp. Always so quick to judge.” He chided playfully.

Ash whooped and pulled out a malasada, eagerly biting into it.

“These are great, thanks soooo much!” Ash thanked James through a mouthful of malasada.

“Ooh ooh ooh, what’d you bring me?” Gou turned to Jessie.

“Well, we didn’t know which one you’d like the best, so we brought all 3.” Jessie told him, pulling out three Pokéballs.

“There’s an Alola form Rattata, a Pikipek, and a Yungoos. Just don’t let them out now, ok?”

“Woah,” Gou gazed in awe at the Pokéballs before taking them and putting them in his pockets. “Thanks so much guys!”

Meowth turned to Pikachu, his eyes narrowed into slits.

“I’m going to ask y’all one last time. What did you break?” 

“Pi..ka..chu...” His friend answered softly, bracing for impact.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FOUR BOZOS BROKE MY GUITAR?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth person mentioned by Meowth is Raboot/Cinderace I just didn’t know how to incorporate them into the story but I also didn’t want to leave them out.


	4. Hurricane Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected hurricane makes landfall in Vermillion City, causing some problems for the Rockets, or more specifically, Meowth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Meowth gave Jessie and James the brain cell for the weekend.

Meowth’s day had begun just like any other. He awoke just before dawn, uncurling from his perch at the foot Jessie and James’ bed and stretching lazily. His ears twitched as he noticed the distinct pitter-patter of rain falling on the street above. While Meowth didn’t exactly like going out in the rain, he hated being cooped up even more. So, he hopped off the bed and silently opened the closet to pull out his guitar case. The scratch cat wasn’t quiet enough it seemed, because a few moments later he heard stirring from the direction of the bed.

“Meooowth, you’re not going out, are you?” James said sluggishly, half asleep.

“Uh, yeah? Why?” Meowth responded, closing the closet door and walking to the bedroom door with his guitar in tow.

“It’s raining, you’ll catch cold.” James warned, causing Meowth to scoff.

“Like that’ll happen, I’ll be back by breakfast. Sweet dreams.” Meowth said sarcastically, walking out of the room.

Like he was going to let his precious alone time get ruined by a little rain. These little morning escapades were basically the only time he had to play the guitar, and he had been dying to play the new one Ash and Gou had bought him again. He didn’t care if the sky was falling outside, he was still going out. Before leaving, he grabbed his collar and slipped it on, covering it with a scarf. Satisfied with his handiwork, Meowth unlocked the front door and shut it quietly behind him.

This new guitar was larger, and heavier, than his previous one. But it was also made out of a stronger, better quality wood. Regardless, Meowth struggled a bit carrying it. When he finally made it out to the street, he realized that it was raining a lot harder than he originally thought. The scratch cat debated staying for a second, but decided to go just to prove James wrong. 

Stepping out onto the pavement, he shivered as the first cold drops of rain hit his fur. He ran as fast as he could with the guitar over his head to the sidewalk, where the grove of a neighbor’s trees provided some shelter. From there, Meowth was able to make it to his destination with minimal exposure using conveniently placed trees and bus stops.

As the scratch cat waddled into the park, using his guitar case as a makeshift umbrella, he was surprised to find it quite busy for a rainy day. People and Pokémon were huddled under umbrellas, perhaps enjoying a morning stroll like him, or maybe they were on their morning commute. Meowth recognized a few of them, mostly the ones who would stop by regularly when he was at that particular park. The spot he would normally take was currently being drenched by the crying heavens, so he decided to set up shop in a nearby pavilion.

Taking out the guitar, he set the guitar case on the floor, open in case anyone wanted to leave tips. While Meowth didn’t do it for the money, he did enjoy finding a few Pokédollars in there once in a while. Like a normal Meowth bringing his owner a Rattata, he would always bring back some breakfast, granted he had the funds. The scratch cat had considered going to the new Alolan cafe across town yesterday, but the rain quickly put a stop to those plans. 

Just by tuning his guitar, a small crowd began forming, composed of the aforementioned regulars and a few new faces. They all wanted to hear what this talking, guitar-playing Meowth had to say, or more specifically, sing.

Meowth started out by strumming out a popular pop song, hoping to attract more people. 

“I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was.” He sung, delighted by the astonished faces faces in the crowd.

“To catch them is my real test.” Someone sang along with him.

“To train them is my cause.” More people joined into the growing choir.

“I will travel across the land, searching far and wide,” Meowth was amazed at the amount of people who had gathered in the pavilion. “Each Pokémon to understand the power that’s inside!” The entire crowd was singing now.

“Pokémon! Gotta catch em’ all!”

“It’s you and me.” Meowth sang back up as he let the people handle the chorus.

“I know it’s my destiny!”

“Pokémon!” They all said in unison.

“Oh you’re my best friend,”

“In a world we must defend!” Meowth sang along happily, not knowing this part was about him.

“Pokémon! Gotta catch em’ all!”

“A heart so true!” The scratch cat sung the falsetto.

“You teach me and I’ll teach you!”

“Pok-é-mon!”

“Gotta catch em’ all! Pokémon!” The crowd cheered and whooped as the song ended.

Many of them left him some money and stayed, others dropped some in and walked away. Meowth didn’t care if the crowd got smaller, because this next song wasn’t for them. This song was slow, unlike the fast-paced previous one. It was a song very dear to Meowth’s heart, because it was the very first one he ever wrote.

“On a quiet, blue, blue night, alone I philosophize.” The scratch cat began his sorrowful tune.

“In the thicket, the insects go korokoro, chirichiri.”

“They chirp deliciously, but I won’t eat them tonight.” Meowth almost chuckled at the scrunched up faces of some of the kids in the crowd.

“That moon is so round, so round, so...” Meowth thought back to his many sleepless nights when he was learning to speak. Often times he would sit on the roof and gaze at it for hours on end, thinking about Meowzie.

“Rounder than any circle in the world, rounder than any circle in the world.” 

“Somewhere in the deep deep outer space, is there another one like me?” After Meowzie’s rejection he asked himself this a lot. Was there another freak talking Meowth out there? Even back then, he already knew the answer. 

“In the grass like me, playing the guitar, korokoro, chararira, playing Meowth’s song?” Many of the people in the crowd started to realize that this song was about him. Some of them looked like they were about to cry, which Meowth really hoped they didn’t do.

“It’s so sad to be all alone, all alone, all...” Meowth knew that while he might be the only talking Meowth, he was the farthest thing from alone. He had his friends Wobbuffet and Pikachu, as well as his human friends Ash and Gou. But most importantly, he had his trusty partners Jessie and James. The first people to ever show him true kindness, who take care of him and give him all the love a Meowth could ever wish for, even if it is in their own special way.

“I wonder where everyone is right now, I wonder where everyone is right now.” He thought of Jessie and James, still asleep and curled into each other. Ash and Gou were probably still asleep, too. Or maybe they’re in another region. How long had it been since he talked to Pikachu?

“I want to call someone, meow.” He finished, strumming the last notes of the song.

The crowd cheered and clapped, though much less than before. Many of the adults had tears in their eyes, one of them even came up to him and hugged him before he could even protest. She dropped in a 50, though, so Meowth couldn’t complain.

Meowth looked around and saw that the rain had been reduced to a mere drizzle. Sensing an opportunity to walk around freely, he dismissed the crowd a few songs early, much to their disdain. Counting up his haul, he realized he had enough to buy all of his family some sweet treats from the café in front of the park. Now that he was able to walk around with only the slightest annoyance from the rain, Meowth took a deep breath and began to relax and enjoy his stroll. Suddenly, a chilly gust of wind hit him straight in the face, causing to shiver and pull his scarf up higher. Maybe he would have enough change to buy himself a coffee.

Meowth was almost to the door of the café when he felt a large drop of water him him square on the head. Then another.  
It took him a few seconds for him to register what was going on, but by the time he began to make a mad dash for the door, it was too late. By the time he got to the cafe he was drenched from coin to paw. A lot of other park-goers arrived along with him to ride out the storm, which meant he had better get in line. After ordering and paying, Meowth sighed when he realized he was a few dollars away from being able to afford a coffee. The frigid air of the café caused the scratch cat to shiver violently. The storm showed no sign of letting up, causing worry to gnaw at his stomach. How long was he going to be stuck there for? 

He began to pace back and forth nervously, clutching the bag of goodies to his body to try and absorb some of their heat. He glanced at the wall clock above the door. Oh no. Jessie and James should be up by now, which means that if he doesn’t get home in 20 minutes... he didn’t want to think of the possibility.

Meowth began to pace faster, chewing on a claw. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something that looked like a payphone. On the other side of the street. In the pouring rain. Meowth cursed and facepalmed.

“Why does this always happen to me?” He muttered under his breath.

The scratch cat weighed his options. He could continue waiting out the storm in this very cold, very crowded café and risk facing the wrath of a very worried Jessie for being fashionably late and out in the rain or he could go out there in the rain and call James to come pick him up. But then he remembered his earlier conversation with James and groaned. James told him not to go out, but he didn’t listen. And now he was wet and cold and hungry. As if in response to his dilemma, it started to rain even harder.

“Oh, for fu-“

Just then, thunder boomed in the distance, causing Meowth to jump up in alarm.

“You know what? Just-“ Meowth cut himself off as he angrily stomped towards the barista. He tossed his guitar and the bag of treats on the counter.

“Could you watch this for a moment?” He asked the confused barista.

“Uh..s-sure.” She answered awkwardly, still not knowing how to feel about a talking Meowth.

Meowth thanked her quickly and walked towards the door, hesitating a bit before walking out. 

As soon as he did, he was almost blown back inside by the wind. The raindrops felt more like icicles digging into his skin. In fact, he almost turned around, but he couldn’t. He had to persevere. Running as fast as he could against the wind, he made it to the payphone and quickly inserted the last of his money. Thankfully, James picked up almost immediately.

“James! You’ve got to come help me!” Meowth yelled through the wind.

“Meowth, is that you?” James asked, not being able to hear very well.

“No, its Santa Claus.” Meowth answered sarcastically.

“I’m hanging up.” James said plainly, not in the mood to tolerate the scratch cat’s sass.

“No, wait! I’m sorry. Just please come pick me up. It’s rainin’ Litten and Rockruff out here.”

“Okay, where are you?” The staticky voice on the other side asked.

“I’m at the café on 4th street.”

“That’s all the way on the other side of town, Meowth! What were you thinking?” James scolded the scratch cat through the phone.

“I know, I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.” Meowth said apologetically, his ears drooping.

“You’re quite the handful, you know? I’ll be there soon.” James chuckled softly before hanging up.

Meowth bolted across the street back to the cafe, soaked to the bone. He took off his sopping wet scarf, no longer caring if others saw his collar, and slung it over his shoulder. Meowth walked up to the counter and asked the barista for his guitar back.

“Are you okay?” She asked, handing him his stuff.

“I’m fine.” Meowth answered halfheartedly.

After thanking her once more, he found an empty seat far from any air vents and close enough to the window that he would be able to see his friend when he arrived. He clambered onto it and tried to dry himself as best as he could with his scarf, though it didn’t do much. When he gave up, he wrapped the scarf around himself and waited, shivering all the while.

Meowth estimated it took James about 20 minutes to get there, but it felt like an eternity. By the time James’ cab finally pulled up, most people in the café had either called their own cabs, or braved the storm and walked out in search of their own cars. When the scratch cat saw the familiar lavender hair pop out from the latest cab, he knew he was saved. In his excitement, he almost left his guitar behind, having to turn back around to get it. James waited for him in front of the cab, holding a pink Bewear umbrella. Meowth shoved the café doors open and jumped in James’ arms, almost causing him to fall because of the added weight of the guitar. When he regained his balance, James was sure to hold Meowth tightly as he climbed back into the car. He closed the umbrella and closed the door. Taking Meowth’s guitar and bag away, he put them next to the umbrella before buckling himself up and telling the taxi driver to go. Turning his attention back to the shivering wet scratch cat, James took out the towel he had brought started to gently dry him while Meowth purred contentedly in his lap.

“Thanks, Jimmy. I owe ya one.” Meowth said after James had finished.

“Don’t mention it, old chum.” James smiled, patting Meowth on the head a few times.

“And see? I didn’t get sssic...NYA-CHOO!” Meowth sneezed halfway through his sentence.

“I told you so.”

“Shut up!”

~

When James and Meowth finally got home, Jessie was already waiting for them, her hands on her hips.

“You,” Jessie pointed at Meowth, “where were you?”

Meowth chuckled nervously in James’ arms.

“He was at the park by 4th street.” James answered for the scratch cat.

Jessie looked James over a few times, before pointing at him.

“You, did you know about this?” She asked him, an eyebrow raised.

“W-well, I knew he was going out, b-but I didn’t know he was going to go that far!” James stuttered, already shrinking under Jessie’s glare along with Meowth.

“So you’re both guilty, then.” Jessie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Meowth, go take a shower. I’ll deal with you later.” She ordered as James set him down.

“What? No! I just got dr..r..NYA-CHOO!” Meowth tried to protest.

“And you’re sick, too. Great.” Jessie almost laughed at the absurdity of fate.

“I’m sorry, Jess, I didn’t think this would-“ Meowth tried to apologize but Jessie cut him off.

“Shower. Now.” She commanded.

“Yes, ma’am.” Meowth said, already halfway to the bathroom.

When she heard the click of the lock, Jessie flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV, which was already on the news channel. When James tried to approach her, she raised her finger up, stopping him in his tracks.

“I still can’t believe you would let him go out IN THE MIDDLE OF A FUCKING HURRICANE!” Jessie yelled at him, causing James to flinch away.

“I’m sorry!” He squeaked, choosing instead to sit in the dining room.

“To be fair, I was half-asleep.” He tried to say in his defense, but Jessie was no longer listening.

She was instead focused on the TV, where the weatherman was advising that the hurricane had just made landfall a few short minutes ago. It then panned to a live feed of the Vermillion City harbor, where the winds were rocking the boats like they were toys in a bathtub. Jessie gulped nervously when she saw this. She had never been through a hurricane before, and while the experts were predicting that it would weaken to storm level by the time it reached them, it still worried her. At least she could breathe easy knowing Meowth was back home and safe. Well, safe to a degree. Of course, the furball had to choose now of all times to make himself sick. They wouldn’t even be able to make it to a Pokémon Center until the weekend was over, which meant they had to treat him at home. Jessie groaned, she was in for a rough night.

Speaking of rough, Jessie glanced over at James, who was currently slumped in a dining room chair, looking like a scolded Lillipup. 

“He looks so cute when he pouts.” She thought.

Maybe she had been a tad too rough on the guy, after all he had been more asleep than awake, and Meowth was the one who had made the choice to leave, despite the obvious warning signs. Perhaps she could use this little situation to her advantage and provide some stress relief for both of them.

“James?” She called, her eyes still fixed on the TV.

“Yes, dear?” He answered tentatively, not knowing what his lover had in store for him.

“Come here.” She beckoned him, waggling her finger towards him.

He got up and shuffled toward her. When she motioned for him to sit, he did so, albeit stiffly. Jessie then climbed on top of him, causing James to shriek in embarrassment. 

“J-Jessie!” He stuttered, his face flushing a bright red.

“Y’know, you’ve been a naughty boy lately, letting the scratch cat out then not telling me.” Jessie whispered into James’ ear, her breath hot on his neck.

“J-Jess...should we really b-be doing this now?” James whimpered, squirming under her.

“Well, I don’t see why ever not? Wobbuffet’s in his Pokéball, Meowth’s in the shower, and I’m so frightfully cold.” Jessie said innocently, her hand trailing down to a not-so-innocent place.

“Jess...” James groaned, his hands coming up to grip her waist.

Jessie closed the distance between them, capturing James’ lips in a passionate, needy kiss. James moaned into the kiss, only fueling the flames in Jessie’s-

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!?” Came the outraged voice from the other side of the apartment.

Immediately, Jessie and James broke apart to look at their feline companion, who was standing in the doorway of the bathroom with a towel slung over his shoulder.

“The bedroom is RIGHT there. Instead, you two choose to do the nasty on the couch, where we all sit, where our guests sit, where I EAT!” Meowth yelled at the canoodling couple, a light blush dusting his face. 

“Meowth! I-“ James tried to come up with an excuse, but Jessie was faster. She hopped off of him just as easily as she hopped on and strode across the room, grabbing Meowth by his oversized head and shaking him.

“Did you even listen to what I said last night?” She asked angrily, bringing Meowth to her eye level.

“Uhh...no?” Meowth answered meekly, intimidated by Jessie’s glare.

~ last night ~

“C’mon Wobbuffet! We’re so close!” Meowth said, twisting the controller as far as he could, mashing the A button.

“Wobba Wobba!” The Pokémon replied, mimicking the scratch cat’s movements.

The two were playing Poké-Kart, a racing video game. Meowth was currently in first place, while Wobbuffet was in a close second. Their goal was to get the top scores in every map, and this was the final round of the last map. The two were so enthralled by their game, they failed to notice when Jessie and James arrived from their trip to the grocery store.

“Meowth, Wobbuffet!” Jessie yelled for them to come help load the groceries out of the cab.

“No!” Meowth cried as he was hit by a Squirtle Shell. 

Wobbuffet laughed evilly from beside him as he took first place, sending Meowth down to fourth.

“Look at what you did! Now we have to start all over again!” Meowth shouted at the blue blob, who looked genuinely sorry.

“Wobba...” He apologized sadly.

“Are you guys even listening to me?” Jessie yelled even louder, hoping to catch the Pokémon’s attention.

“I accept your apology. We’re going to do it again, and this time you’re not going to take first place, got it?” Meowth said to Wobbuffet.

“Wobbuffet!” The blue blob affirmed as he picked up his remote again.

James entered the apartment with the last of the groceries in one hand and his phone in the other, looking worried.

“Jess, look at this.” James told Jessie as he showed her the latest news.

“A hurricane?” Jessie asked, confused. Surely, she would have known if a hurricane was going to make landfall this weekend.

“It veered off-course. They say that unless it shifts direction again, it should hit us by noon tomorrow.” James informed her, skimming over the article for any other important information.

“Well, good thing we went shopping, then.” Jessie declared, looking over the various bags strewn across the kitchen floor filled with groceries that had yet to be put away.

“Did you hear that, Meowth? I don’t want you going out tomorrow until we know for sure if its hitting us or not!” Jessie once again yelled towards the scratch cat. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Meowth responded in order to shut her up and continued happily playing his game.

~ back to present day ~

“Oh...right...the hurricane.” Meowth suddenly remembered.

Jessie almost screamed.

“Yes! The hurricane which you almost experienced alone, sopping wet in a cafe were it not for James!”

“I already said I’m sorry! What else do you want me..to..to..NYA-CHOO!” The scratch cat sneezed all over Jessie, causing her to screech and drop him.

Good thing Meowth always land on their feet, or else Meowth’s day would have gotten ten times worse.

“Oi! Wha’d you do that for!” Meowth protested, sniffing weakly.

But Jessie didn’t hear, she was already at the kitchen sink washing her face profusely, cursing all the while.

Meowth turned to James, who was still trying to calm himself down after Jessie’s unexpected ministrations.

“So, when did the storm make landfall?” Meowth asked him.

James thought for a while before answering.

“About...20 minutes ago.”

Meowth’s eyes grew wide.

“So that storm that almost blew me away wasn’t even the hurricane?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs Meowth sings:  
> Gotta Catch Em’ All! (Original dub intro).  
> Meowth’s Song (not to be confused with Meowth’s ballad). Note: I got the translation from Bulbapedia, I don’t know if it’s correct or not because my Japanese is garbage. Please correct me if I am wrong!
> 
> Next chapter: Meowth sickfic


	5. Hurricane Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meowth Sickfic. That is all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold! Meowth Sickfic! I’ve had this chilling in my docs since summertime and I finally got a chance to finish. It’s 4:16 and I have no ideas for a funny joke about the Spongebob reference so just know its there. Also, I had a BLAST writing this I think this is the most fun I’ve had since I was in middle school. Something about the hilarious domesticity of it all... just fills me with so much joy. And I hope it will bring you, the reader, the same amount of joy. Enjoy!

Once Jessie had screamed her heart out at Meowth, the three of them settled on the couch to watch the latest news. The weatherman explained that although the storm had weakened considerably since making landfall, it had not weakened as much as experts thought it would. This made Jessie gulp and chew on her lower lip. But he then went on to clarify that citizens should only expect power outages, mild flooding, and the occasional fallen tree. The entire room breathed a sigh of relief at this revelation. At least they weren’t in any real danger from the hurricane. However, the good news ended there, because the weatherman then said the storm was moving very slowly, so it would take the rest of today and tomorrow to pass. The trio groaned in tandem, their earlier feelings of elation all but forgotten. 

“Well, at least we’re not going to die, so come on out Wo-“

The Pokémon let himself out before his trainer could even finish her sentence.

“Not from the hurricane, anyways.” Jessie finished, glaring at Meowth. The scratch cat whimpered and curled closer into James’ lap.

James started to pet him, but immediately stopped when he realized the scratch cat was way warmer than usual.

“Jess, he’s burning up.” James said worriedly, patting Meowth’s forehead a few more times for good measure.

“NYA-CHOO!” The aforementioned Meowth added for emphasis.

Jessie waved her hand dismissively before standing up and strolling to the kitchen to search for some berries.

“It was only a matter of time.” She sighed, grabbing a few Pecha berries and an Oran berry, mixing them into a paste and adding some ground-up Energy Root.

“Make sure to add a Pinap in there.” Meowth sniffled weakly and sat up on James’ lap, his head spinning as soon as he did.

Jessie searched the berry pantry for the scratch cat’s request but couldn’t find any.

“I think we’re fresh out. Sorry.” She shrugged, walking back over to her male companions and placing the bowl in Meowth’s paws. He sniffed it tentatively, his nose scrunching up when he detected the Energy Root’s sharp, bitter, smell even through his stuffiness.

“This should be enough to take the edge off, though it’s not going to cure it. I’ll take you to the Pokémon Center as soon as this damned storm lets me, but in the meantime, please cooperate.” Jessie told the scratch cat, walking off again to grab a wet rag.

Meowth grabbed the spoon and took a test lick of the concoction, gagging as soon as it hit his tongue. This sent him into a fit of coughs, almost knocking the bowl down were it not for James catching it in the nick of time.

“C’mon, old chum, don’t be this way.” James said, getting a spoonful before offering it to Meowth, who swatted it away as he continued coughing into his elbow. 

James offered it again when the scratch cat finished coughing. This time, Meowth swallowed the contents of the spoon quickly, trying to avoid the taste. He grimaced as it hit his aching throat, but soon relaxed when the Energy Root started to take effect.

James extended the spoon to Meowth again, filled to the brim with more mush. Meowth took it with much less hesitation than before, relishing in the feeling of relief.

When Meowth cuddled closer into him and began to purr, James’ heart fluttered in his chest as he was hit with a pang of tenderness. James was no stranger to caring for sick Pokémon, as he had owned lots of Pokémon during his career as a trainer. But he had yet to encounter a Pokémon such as the one he held in his arms. Maybe it’s Meowth’s ability to speak, or maybe it’s the scratch cat’s stubborn determination to do whatever he wants, but Meowth had always meant so much more to him than any other Pokémon James had owned. While he would consider all of his Pokémon as friends, his connection with Meowth was different. Their friendship hadn’t been determined by the lucky swing of a Pokéball, it had been cultivated through years of balloon rides and blast-offs. It took time for the Pokémon to first come to him for comfort, and it took time for James to give it to him. Even now, with their friendship better than ever, James still couldn’t help the smile that came onto his face whenever Meowth purred because of his ministrations, or when the Pokémon would seek him out when he was scared, or even when he goes of on a tangent about his latest argument with Wobbuffet to James, rambling in half-Pokéspeak. Any affection Meowth would show him James knew he had earned. He had earned the trust of a Pokémon who had known nothing but hurt from humans. And maybe he didn’t have Pokémon anymore, but damn, was he a good trainer. Although, James would rather think of himself as an even better friend.

Once the bowl was empty, James set it aside and began to pet the weary scratch cat once more. Jessie arrived with the rag, draping it over Meowth’s forehead and causing him to shiver at the coolness.

“There. That should be enough for now.” She said, satisfied with her handiwork.

Flopping down next to the pair, she searched for the remote to change the channel, tired of watching the weatherman repeat the same things over and over again. Besides, the images of the station’s storm cameras weren't doing anything to help her anxiety, like the howling wind outside wasn’t enough. She also figured she could find something more entertaining to help Meowth take his mind off his illness. Jessie opened the channel guide, browsing through them aimlessly to see if something caught her eye.

“Wobbuffet!” 

The three of them looked over to the Pokémon, who had been quietly watching the TV until then.

“He says..NYA-CHOO...that he wants to watch cartoons.” Meowth translated, sneezing halfway through his sentence.

Jessie groaned inwardly. Apart from the blue blob, none of them really enjoyed cartoons. Jessie would much rather watch Pokémon showcases. She knew James loved watching soap operas and the occasional documentary. But apart from knowing her feline companion loved Pokémon’s Got Talent, she didn’t really know what Meowth liked to watch. However, she knew an entertained Wobbuffet was a quiet Wobbuffet. And a quiet Wobbuffet meant a somewhat peaceful evening.

“Wobbuffet, sweetie, why don’t we let Meowth decide what he wants to watch?” Jessie told her Pokémon with the sweetest possible tone she could muster.

Meowth lifted his head and stared at Jessie, his eyes watering at Jessie’s sudden kindness.

“Wobba...” The Pokémon grumbled in response and slumped back into his seat, his arms crossed.

Jessie handed Meowth the remote, who took it and thanked her profusely. 

“While I appreciate the opportunity, I feel obligated to ask what you guys feel like watching.” The scratch cat said, turning to stare at his friends.

“Wob-“

“No. We’re not watching cartoons.” Meowth stated plainly before Wobbuffet could finish his statement.

“Well, there was this one show I had been meaning to binge...” James spoke up when no one else said anything.

“What’s it called, Jimmy?” Meowth asked, opening the search bar.

“It’s called This is Us. The b-, I mean Giovanni recommended it on the group chat. He said it made him cry.”

“If it made the boss cry then it must be good!” Meowth exclaimed, already typing it in.

“I can’t believe you’re still in that stupid group chat.” Jessie rolled her eyes at James.

“Hey, I just like to stay informed. Did you know Cassidy kicked Biff out?”

“She did?” Jessie’s mouth fell open. She was suddenly very interested in this little group chat.

“Yep, they had a fight on the group chat that was over 400 messages long. One of the grunts had to remove them for a week.” James continued, pulling out his phone.

“Let me see, let me see!” Jessie eagerly snatched the phone away from his hands and began reading through the texts.

“Oi! The show’s about to start!” Meowth informed the pair, his ear twitching in annoyance.

“Woah, he really went there. I mean, I wholeheartedly agree but damn.” Jessie muttered mostly to herself, completely enraptured in her former rivals’ lover’s quarrel.

“Personally, I think they should have their relationship problems somewhere else. My memes weren’t getting through.” James sighed, taking his phone out of Jessie’s hands and putting it in his pocket.

“Give it back! I wasn’t done reading!” Jessie yelled at her lover, who, along with Meowth, shushed her and continued watching TV.  
Jessie pouted and crossed her arms, mirroring her Pokémon. Eventually however, they both began paying attention to the screen and got swept up in the story along with James and Meowth.

“Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon cried out when the first episode ended, wanting to continue watching more.

“So let me get this straight, the show takes place both in the past and present?” Jessie asked, still a bit confused.

“It apparently follows the triplets as both adults and children so yes, I would say.” James clarified.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m craving some...NYA-CHOO!” Meowth began to say but ended up sneezing.  
“...popcorn.” The scratch cat finished, wiping his nonexistent nose with his paw.

“I’ll get it.” Jessie said, already getting up.

“Fine, but you’re not holding it ‘cause last time you ate the whole thing without leaving me even a single kernel!”

~

After Jessie made the popcorn and handed the bag to a neutral James, Meowth put on the second episode. It was just as good as the first and had Jessie and James bawling their eyes out by the end.

“What an awful feeling!” The duo cried out in unison, much to Meowth’s annoyance.

“Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon said instinctively.

“I don’t think my tear ducts can handle another episode like that.” James said after he had calmed down a bit.

“Me neither.” Jessie agreed, wiping a tear away.

“Well mine can, I’m watching another epi-“

Suddenly, the power went out, plunging the family into complete darkness.

“Oh...” Meowth whispered softly, putting the remote down.

Both Jessie and James took out their phones and turned on the flashlight function. The room was illuminated with a dim, white light that wasn’t much, but at least they could see each other.

“What do we do now?” Meowth asked, standing up on James’ lap.

“I think I have a few candles somewhere. Help me look, Wobbuffet.” Jessie said, getting up and walking toward the bedroom with Wobbuffet in tow, leaving Meowth and James alone.

Now that the TV was off, the roar of the torrential rains and winds above flooded the apartment. This made Meowth and James both gulp.

“It sounds pretty bad up there, right?” James said nervously, his voice quivering slightly.

“Yeah...” Meowth answered, feeling just as distraught.

“D’you think we’ll be okay?” The scratch cat asked James softly, his eyes wide with fear. James was sure he could hear his heart crack.

“Of course, old chum. We’ve been through worse, right?” James smiled and patted Meowth’s head a few times.

“Right.” Meowth affirmed, a tiny smile forming on his own face.

“We’ll be fine, Meowth. I promise.” James looked at Meowth with such fierce determination that only reminded him of the promise James had made to Jessie in their first night as a team. A promise James never broke.

Meowth couldn’t help a surge of emotion and he threw his arms around James’ neck, hugging him tightly.

James was taken aback by his friend’s sudden act of affection, but didn’t hesitate to gently wrap his arms around Meowth, pulling him in closer.

“Thanks, Jimmy. For everything you’ve done. You’re...” Meowth felt tears run down his face.

“You’re the bestest pal I’ve ever had!” He sobbed into James’ shoulder.

“Same here, old chum.” James pulled him even closer. He noticed the scratch cat was even warmer than before, which caused his smile to falter.  
“And I’m so sorry for ignoring you and going out and worrying you and Jess and making you come get me.” Meowth said in one continuous breath before pulling away from James to look him in the eyes. James couldn’t help but notice the large blush that had spread across the feline’s face.

“And...and...I hate hurting you and Jess ‘cause you two lugs do so much for a mangy, weirdo, talking street Meowth like me!” Meowth cried, wiping his tears away frantically.

“Meowth, don’t say things like that! Are you okay?” James exclaimed, his emerald green eyes filled with worry.

“I-I don’t know. I’m so cold, Jim. Everything hurts.” Meowth said quietly, collapsing against James.

“It hurts so much.”

James scooped Meowth into his arms before running into the bedroom to look for Jessie.

“Hey, I found the cand- Meowth!” As soon as she noticed the sick scratch cat, she dropped everything and bolted over to James’ side.

“His fever’s back, and I think he’s delirious.” James told Jessie, who nodded in understanding before booking it to the kitchen in order to prepare more medicine.

“Wobbuffet?” The Pokémon approached the pair, his arms full of candles.

“He says...he says...NYA-CHOO!” Meowth attempted weakly to give a translation but ended up sneezing. When the feline opened his mouth to speak again, James stopped him.

Instead, he kneeled down and placed a hand on Wobbuffet’s round, blobby head.

“Meowth is very sick right now, as you can probably tell. Now, I know I’m not your trainer-“

“Wob.”

“Huh?” James felt bad looking to Meowth for a translation, but he really had no idea what the Pokémon might’ve said.

“Heh, he says you might not be his trainer, but you’re his friend.” Meowth chuckled softly before starting to cough.

“Oh. Y-you’re my fr-friend, too.” James stammered, unsure how to react.

“Anyways, it would mean a lot if you could bring me the matches from the kitchen. They’re in the bottom drawer next to the sink.”

“Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon affirmed, dropping the candles on the floor and wobbling away.

“Now, lets get you into bed.” James returned his attention to Meowth as he got up.

He placed the scratch cat on his side of the bed, making sure to gently cradle his head as he let it fall onto the pillow. James decided against tucking him in even though Meowth was shivering like crazy, because he knew it was a side effect of the fever.

“Here, I added more Energy Root and Pecha berries this time. It may not be the best tasting but it’ll work.” Jessie said as she walked into the room with a bowl full of mush. She handed the bowl off to James before bending over to collect the discarded candles.

“Do you think you can handle this while I set the candles up?” Jessie asked, putting her free hand on James’ shoulder.

“Of course, dear.” James said, turning his gaze away from Meowth to give her a quick peck on the lips.

“Ew, get a room.” Meowth spat from below, disgust prominent in his raspy voice.

“This is our room.” The two of them said in tandem.

“Whatever...” The feline muttered, turning away from the pair.

Just then, they heard a large crash come from the kitchen, followed by a very stressed sounding Wobbuffet. Jessie facepalmed immediately, while James just cringed. Meowth was too exhausted to pretend he was surprised.

“I can’t leave him alone for 5 seconds, can I?” Jessie sighed before stomping away to yell at Wobbuffet.

Ignoring the ruckus coming from the kitchen, James scooped up some of the mush and offered it to Meowth, who swallowed it quickly, eager for relief. The two fell into a comfortable silence as James fed the weak scratch cat spoonful after spoonful of medicine. At one point, James gave him too much than he could handle and Meowth gagged, almost throwing up all over their bed.

“Sorry, sorry!” James apologized, shrinking under Meowth’s scrutinizing glare.

When the bowl was once again empty, James put the bowl down on the nightstand and checked the feline’s temperature again with his palm. He certainly felt cooler than before.

“Feeling better?” He asked, finally pulling the duvet over Meowth’s body. He snuggled into the sheets, relishing in the newfound warmth.  
“Little bit...NYA-CHOO!” Meowth responded with a sneeze.

“Fair enough. You think you’ll be okay while I take a shower?” James asked him, already gathering some fresh clothes.

“Fine, just leave your phone here.”

“What? I’m not showering in the dark!” James exclaimed, outraged.

“Of course not, bozo, just grab one of Jessie’s candles.” Meowth retorted, extending his paw out for James to deposit his phone in.

His friend did just so, grumbling all the while before storming off.

“Ahh, finally. Some decent entertainment.” Meowth said to himself as he unlocked James’ phone. The first thing he decided to do was send a text to Ash and make sure they were ok.

Ash replied rather quickly, explaining that he and Gou were currently in the Kalos region meeting up with some of his old friends. Meowth decided not to bother him with the details of his current predicament, and quickly excused himself under the false pretenses that he was being called by Jessie.

“Before we go, Pikachu wants to tell you something.” Ash texted, followed by a voice message filled to the brim with Pikachu’s and Ash’s voice in the background.

Meowth was about to send his own voice message, but hesitated before pressing send. He knew he sounded sick, and he really didn’t want to worry his friends. So he just sent a regular message responding to Pikachu before saying goodbye. He was about to close out of the app when a message from the Team Rocket group chat came in. Meowth couldn’t resist his curiosity and clicked on the banner. It was a picture of Matori, Cassidy, and a few other high ranking female ex Team Rocket officials at a bar with a caption that read “Girls’ night out last weekend! Looking forward to the next one!” Even though Jessie hated most of the people in the picture, Meowth just knew she would flip if she saw that she hadn’t been invited. Apparently, Jessie hadn’t been the only one who’s card got lost in the mail, because several grunts began to complain about wanting to go, too. Cassidy snidely shut them up by claiming the event was for “relevant personnel only”. Meowth was tempted to butt in and say that if that were the case, she’d be the last one on the guest list. But he didn’t want to do anything to ruin James’ reputation, whatever that may be. The scratch cat was about to scroll up and read some of the older messages, but Jessie and Wobbuffet came waltzing into the room, holding two candles each. They placed them in various places around the bedroom so it became illuminated in a soft, warm glow. After she was done, she walked up to Meowth and pressed her palm to Meowth’s forehead.

“Well, no fever, at least. How you holding up?” Jessie asked as the feline quietly closed out of the app so Jessie wouldn’t see its contents.

“Better, thanks to whatever the hell you made. That stuff may taste like your home cooking, but it works wonders.” Meowth said, leaning into Jessie’s touch.

“It’s not that bad, I added an Oran berry for taste.” Jessie muttered under her breath.

“Anyways, I think I’m going to join James. Don’t let Wobbuffet touch the fire.” Jessie told Meowth before leaving his side and grabbing some clothes.

“How many times has he already tried?”

“7.” Jessie answered before disappearing into the bathroom.

“Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon exclaimed, bolting towards the nearest candle.

“No, no. Fire is bad. Very bad.” Meowth scolded, reluctantly getting up from his spot to stop the blue blob from reaching the candle. 

“Why don’t we watch some cartoons, instead?” Meowth offered, opening a streaming service app James had on his phone.

“Wobba!” His friend exclaimed excitedly, hopping into bed next to him.

“So, what do you want to watch?” Meowth asked as he went to the kids part of the app.

“Fet.” Wobbuffet pointed to a show about underwater Pokémon.

“Not a bad choice.” Meowth had to admit as he pressed play. He had actually watched the show a few times and had enjoyed it. It had jokes that all ages could enjoy, as well as relatable characters. The later seasons weren’t as enjoyable, though. Luckily for Meowth, the streaming service only had the first 5 seasons.

The pair started to happily watch the show, which lifted Meowth’s mood considerably. Until he heard a moan from the direction of the bathroom. Meowth groaned in disgust and threw a pillow at the bathroom door, but missed.

“Keep it down in there!” Meowth yelled, causing Wobbuffet to look up in alarm.

“Buffet?” The Pokémon asked, pausing the show.

“It’s nothing. Let’s just continue watching.” Meowth said, still glaring daggers at the door. He was sure to raise the volume to the highest possible setting before hitting play again.

Just as he did so, the lights flickered back to life outside the room. Meowth was about to take a breath to inform his two companions but abruptly stopped when he heard another moan. The bastards weren’t even trying to hide it now. Meowth couldn’t stop himself from gagging.

“Wobbuffet?” The Pokémon asked him, perplexed as to why his friend had refrained from sharing the good news.

“Disgusting..” Meowth muttered under his breath before turning his attention back to the cartoons.

“Wobbuffet!” The blue blob exclaimed, insulted.

“They are disgusting! You just wouldn’t understand, now look your favorite part is coming up.” Meowth quickly tried to switch the subject to try and prevent more unsavory images from popping up into his head.

“Wobba.” He said plainly, causing the scratch cat to choke on his spit and blush furiously.

“Ermm ,why don’t you ask ya trainer to tell ya, k? Look, he’s getting hit in the head with a coconut!” The scratch cat made one last ditch attempt to get the Pokémon to focus on something else rather than trying to explain the Starlys and the Combees and possibly die from mortification. Well, at least if he died he wouldn’t be sick anymore.

They were able to get through an episode and a half when Jessie sauntered out of the bathroom, followed by a flushed James.

“Hey, the power’s back on!” James exclaimed as soon as he realized.

“Finally, we’re starving out here!” Meowth said as soon as his friends walked in the room, turning off the phone.

“There’s ramen in the pantry, make it yourself.” Jessie replied nonchalantly. She flicked the bedroom lamps on before pushing Wobbuffet aside in order to slip into bed.

“But I’m sick! Nya..choo?” Meowth pretended to sneeze, not wanting to get up from his comfortable and warm position.

“I’ll get it, do you want some too, Wobbuffet?” James volunteered, feeling a little hungry himself.

“Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon affirmed, nodding rapidly.

“Could you be a love and bring me some water?” Jessie asked sweetly.

“Of course, dear.” James responded, already half-way out the door.

Meowth decided to turn on James’ phone again and look for something to watch on it, but just as he switched it on he got a notification from the group chat. Oh no.

“Who is that?”

“No one! It’s nothing!” Meowth answered rapidly, closing the notification out. But it was too late. Jessie had already seen it.

“Is it that stupid group chat again? Let me see.” Jessie said, snatching the phone away. Meowth tried to get it back, but a fit of coughs caused him to fall back into the bed.

The feline could only watch helplessly as Jessie read through the messages, but strangely, didn’t react. That’s when Meowth realized Jessie had completely bypassed the newer messages and gone back to read Cassidy and Batch’s argument. He sighed in relief, not in the mood to hear another one of Jessie’s screaming matches, even if it wasn’t directed at him.

James walked back into the room holding Jessie’s glass of water. He placed it on the nightstand next to her before noticing that she had his phone.

“Are you stil-“

“Yes.” She interrupted, not looking up from the phone.

James just shrugged and strolled back to the kitchen to prepare the ramen. Now that Meowth’s only form of entertainment had been taken away, the scratch cat sighed and threw his head back onto the pillow, already bored out of his mind.

“Nya..nya..NYA-CHOO!”

Jessie chuckled and looked over to her friend, reaching over to give him a few pets. Meowth yawned lazily, settling on his next course of action. He rolled across the bed, pushing past Wobbuffet, who was currently on Jessie’s discarded phone, and nestled under her arm. He purred a few times for good measure, trying to encourage her to continue petting him.

“Oh, okay.” Jessie finally caved, putting James’ phone aside and plopping the feline on her lap. She lovingly stroked Meowth’s fur, enjoying the cute purrs and meows he was making.

“Thanks, Jess. For taking care of me, meow.” He slurred, almost half-asleep under Jessie’s ministrations.

“Anytime, just remember not to go out when it’s raining again, okay? If you do, I’m not letting James save you again.” Jessie responded, only partly joking.

“S’ok, I’ll just go over to Pikachu’s. He’ll help me, meow.” 

“Hmph, I’d like to see Pikachu make you medicine, bring you dinner in bed, and make you PokéPuffs to help you feel better.” Jessie retorted, bopping the scratch cat lightly on the head.

“Wait, PokéPuffs?” Meowth asked, confused.

“If you’re good, which you have been so far, I was planning on baking you some PokéPuffs before heading to the Pokémon Center tomorrow.” She explained, reaching for her glass of water and taking a sip.

“You’d really do that for me?” Meowth said, still unaccustomed to Jessie’s kindness, even after all this time.

Jessie suddenly felt very shy all of the sudden. She had never been the best at emotions. Her mother left when she was so young, and there was no place for softies on the streets. So she had been forced to seal up her heart in the thick, impenetrable wall so strong it had taken years for James and Meowth to finally break through. But it was still hard for her, to care and be cared for.

“Only if you’re good.” She managed to squeeze out, trying her best to keep a blush at bay.

Just then, James strolled into the room with two bowls of spicy ramen and a mug of tea on a tray. 

“Grub’s here!” Meowth exclaimed, wiggling out of Jessie’s embrace.

He placed the tray on the nightstand and handed Wobbuffet his bowl, which caused the Pokémon to let out a delighted whoop and immediately start slurping.

“Here, Meowth, this tea usually helps me get by when I feel under the weather. I’m not so sure what effect it’ll have on a Pokémon, but it’s worth a shot.” James told Meowth has he delicately placed the tray on the scratch cat’s lap.

“Aw, thanks, Jimmy! You’re the best!” Meowth thanked his friend before promptly digging into his well deserved dinner.

“I know, now scooch.” James replied by shooing his friend away from his side of the bed and climbing in next to him.

“Wobbuffeeeeet!” The Pokémon whined, suddenly finding himself pushed out to the middle of the bed.

“Sorry, pal. Maybe next time.” Meowth shrugged, his mouth stuffed with noodles.

Just then, thunder cracked loudly outside which made the blue blob screech and jump into Jessie’s lap, almost spilling his bowl in the process.

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay, dear, its just a bit of thunder is all.” Jessie cooed, taking the mostly empty bowl from her Pokémon and placing it on the bedside table. She looked to James and Meowth, her eyes pleading for help, but the two just shrugged and shook their heads. Jessie huffed in annoyance and muttered something about uselessness before turning back to her Pokémon which had somehow managed to make Rockruff eyes at her. How, she didn’t know? But she couldn’t send him back into his Pokéball, they were in a hurricane. On the other hand, they can’t all fit in their bed.

“I guess you could sleep at the foot of the bed for tonight, and James’ will get you some blankets so you’ll be comfortable, isn’t that right James?” Jessie batted her eyes sweetly at her partner, but James was already halfway to the closet.

“Right.” James sighed, pulling out two blankets and tossing them to Wobbuffet, who somehow caught them expertly.

“Wobba!” The Pokémon thanked him cheerfully before wrapping the blankets tightly around himself and flopping down by Jessie’s feet. She couldn’t help but notice he looked like a little burrito. If burritos were bright blue and yelled “Wobbuffet” every 5 seconds.

“Ahh, that hit the spot.” Meowth groaned as he set the empty bowl down on the tray. The scratch cat then picked up the tea mug and blew on it gently before taking a sip. It hardly tasted like anything to him, but it wasn’t bad and soothed his throat so he took another refined sip. James picked up his phone from where Jessie had discarded it and began to scroll aimlessly through the internet.

“How long till this thing passes?” Jessie moaned in annoyance when another thunderclap caused Wobbuffet to yelp.

“Weatherman says the storm’s starting to dissipate and should be gone by tomorrow morning.” James replied a few seconds later while stifling a yawn. If Meowth didn’t feel so exhausted, he might have been excited.

“There’s some good news, at least.” Jessie mumbled as she tucked her Pokémon back in.

The scratch cat quickly gulped down the last of the now lukewarm tea and passed the tray along to James, who haphazardly placed it on the floor.

“‘M tired.” Meowth cuddled deeper into the sheets, finally relaxing his aching muscles. The bed had never felt so soft to Meowth before. The scratch cat almost fell asleep right then and there, but two warm embraces woke him right up. Jessie and James...they were hugging him. He could feel Jessie’s warm breath on the top of his head, making his ears twitch. He could even hear James’ soothing heartbeat, the one he knew so well. They were so close. So warm. Something blossomed inside Meowth’s chest like a Cherrim on a summer’s day and spread through his entire body. He’d felt this before, but the scratch cat had never quite been able to name it. Until now. He realized it was love. He loved Jessie and James. His partners turned friends turned family. He couldn’t believe it had taken a nasty cold and a hurricane to realize it, which paled in comparison to the near death experiences they’d found themselves over the years. Surely, they loved him back, right? If they didn’t, then why would they have allowed him to stay, take care of him, and treat him like their own Pokémon? The feeling inside soon consumed him until he felt close to bursting. He had to tell them, it was now or never. Meowth swallowed his pride, took a deep breath, and spoke.

“Um...I just wanted to thank you guys, for takin’ care of me today. You two lugs are the best thing to happen to me...and...and..” Meowth trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the all too important three words.

“Are you alright, old chum?” The concern in James voice did nothing to placate the tightness in his chest. He needed to say it.

“AndIloveyoutwosomuch!” 

And then the room went silent for what Meowth felt was an eternity and then some. Even Wobbuffet, who had somehow gotten James’ phone, stopped what he was doing to stare at him. He was trembling, when had he started trembling? And why did he still feel like he was about to burst, wasn’t it supposed to go away when he-

“We love you, too.” Said the voices in unison.

And he burst.

“R-really?” Meowth sputtered out, his eyes widening. The scratch cat could feel his trembling morph into contented purrs that vibrated throughout his body.

“Yes, really. You’re our friend, are you not?” Jessie chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around Meowth and pulling him closer to her chest.  
“No, he’s not. He’s family.” James answered for Meowth, hauling them both closer to him.

The trio just laid there, relishing in each other’s company, warmth, and most importantly, in each other’s love. And even with the deluge threatening to bring the roof down on them, Meowth felt himself drifting off into a deep, blissful, snotless, sleep.

Suddenly, the canoodling trio heard the distinct sound of a phone camera snapping a photo. They whipped their heads around only to notice none other than Wobbuffet smugly holding James’ phone.

“Wob.” He said flatly, causing Meowth’s eyes to open wide in alarm.

“Don’t you dare!” The scratch cat yelled, struggling to escape his friends arms. When he finally managed to get out, Wobbuffet was already halfway across the room, laughing evilly and tapping away on the phone.

“What did he say?” Jessie asked, sitting up and poised to tackle the blue blob to the ground if she saw it necessary.

“He’s sending it to Ash & Pikachu! Let...go!” Meowth growled through gritted teeth as he wrestled with Wobbuffet for possession of the phone. For a Pokémon with no fingers, Wobbuffet had quite a tight grip. Just as Meowth was about to finally seize it from the misbehaving Pokémon, his paw slipped and the telltale ‘whoosh’ of a message being sent echoed through the room.

“No! I’ll throttle ya!” Meowth screeched before unsheathing his claws. He was about to attack a cowering Wobbuffet when James’ phone started blowing up with messages that were definitely NOT from Ash. Turns out he had pressed “send all”, and now every single one of the contacts on James’ phone had the picture. Meowth didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or use Wobbuffet as a scratching post.

“Fuck.” The scratch cat whispered under his breath before picking up the phone and tossing it to Jessie and James. He could only wince at the look of horror settled on their faces when they realized, followed by the angry glares directed at him and his wobbly blue friend.

“WHAT DID YOU TWO DO!” Jessie roared, climbing out of bed and stomping over to the two Pokémon. She grabbed Meowth by the fur and hoisted him up so that they were face to face. Unfortunately, Meowth’s illness chose that exact moment to sneeze, once again, right onto Jessie’s face.

By the time Jessie was done yelling, Meowth had learned at least 5 new curses and 7 new slurs. She also locked the two Pokémon out of the bedroom and tried to put Wobbuffet back inside his Pokéball twice before giving up when the Pokémon kept breaking out. So there they were, flopped on the couch while listening to James futilely try to convince his partner to let them back in. Meowth and Wobbuffet stared at each other in awkward silence, neither of them too sure of what to say. The two of them had already apologized profusely to Jessie and James, and Jessie had forced Wobbuffet to apologize to Meowth as well. But the scratch cat couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward the blue blob for ruining the moment and, most importantly, his sleep.

“Wob-buffet.” The Pokémon finally spoke up, his voice strained and watery. Meowth suddenly perked up and rushed to his friend’s side.  
“Hey, are you okay?” He asked, slightly worried. He placed a paw on Wobbuffet’s back comfortingly, and that was when the Pokémon began to sob. Meowth was taken aback for a second, before trying desperately to comfort him.

“Wobba Wobbuffet!” The Pokémon weeped, burying his head in his arms.

“What? Of course we love you!” Meowth replied, the l-word falling naturally from his mouth before he could even think about stopping himself. 

“Wob-Wobbuffeeet!” He continued and suddenly the pieces snapped into place inside of Meowth’s head. Wobbuffet felt left out. First, he was sent to the bottom of the bed. Then, he was forced to see how tenderly Jessie and James had embraced Meowth, how they’d told the scratch cat how much he was loved, with not even a glance toward the blue blob’s direction. It must’ve felt like how Meowth himself felt when he lived on the streets, seeing all the pet Pokémon get food, and shelter, and love, while he got nothing but the boot. Then the guilt struck him like a sack of bricks. All Wobbuffet wanted was to feel loved, too.

“C’mere, pal.” Meowth enveloped his friend in a hug, calming the Pokémon down a bit. Surprisingly, Wobbuffet didn’t squeeze the living daylights out of him, instead he held Meowth gently, as if afraid he would break. Probably because he knew a sickened Meowth would break.

All of the sudden, the bedroom door swung open and out walked James dragging a pouting Jessie behind him. However, when they noticed Wobbuffet’s state they both abandoned the theatrics and hurried over to his side.

“Move over, furball. What the hell did you do?!” Jessie growled, pushing the scratch cat out of the way and lifting her Pokémon into her lap. She started to soothingly run her hand down Wobbuffet’s blobby head in an attempt to get him to calm down, but the appearance of Jessie and James only seemed to make him more upset.

“I didn’t do anything, Meowth’s honor! He just started crying! Nya..NYA-CHOO!” Meowth finished off his desperate attempt to save himself from Jessie’s wrath with a sneeze. 

“Meowth, what happened? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Wobbuffet this upset before.” James said, turning to look at him.

“If I may talk to you in private, please?” Meowth almost whispered to James and motioned toward the kitchen. James nodded discreetly and followed the scratch cat. Once they were at a far enough distance not to be heard, Meowth explained the situation as quietly as he could while still being heard over Wobbuffet’s distressed wails.

“So that’s what happened. And I feel really bad for the guy, I didn’t mean for him to get upset or anything.” Meowth mumbled, hanging his head sadly. 

“Chin up, pal, It’s not your fault. Let’s go make things right.” James said, kneeling down to pat the scratch cat a few times on the head.

“Right.” Meowth echoed, before turning tail and following his friend.

Meowth watched as James leaned into Jessie’s ear and quickly whispered their plan while he climbed back onto the couch next to Wobbuffet. She nodded her head in agreement and slid Wobbuffet off her lap back onto the couch. 

“Wobbuffet?” The Pokémon asked, confused by his trainer’s actions.

Then, the three of them hugged Wobbuffet tightly.

“Wobbuffet!” He exclaimed in surprise, his tears ceasing.

“We love you!” The trio shouted in unison, hugging the blue blob even tighter.

“Wobba Wobbuffet!” 

Suddenly, they were all off the ground as Wobbuffet squeezed them back tightly and happily swung them from side to side.

“Okay, Okay, we get it, you love us too! Now could you please let me down before I...I...NYA-CHOO!”

Wobbuffet immediately put them down after that. 

“Now that this is over, can we please go back to bed? Caring for a sick feline is exhausting.” Jessie moaned groggily before yawning.

“Only if we’re allowed back in.” Meowth retorted before booking it towards the bedroom.

By the time the rest of the family walked in, Meowth was already sound asleep, his body finally being allowed to rest.

“He looks so cute when he’s asleep.” James whispered to Jessie later, when the lights had been dimmed to a faint glow and both Pokémon had drifted off.

“Yeah, too bad that when he’s awake he’s a nightmare.” Jessie retorted, and while James couldn’t see it he just knew she was rolling her eyes.

“Don’t say that.” He gasped, faking offense before playfully slapping her arm.

“Well it’s true.” She grumbled, snuggling deeper into the covers and forcing her eyes shut.

“It isn’t and you know it.” James shot back, draping an arm lazily across Jessie’s waist.

“Hey, just because I think he’s a pain in the ass doesn’t mean I love the little weirdo any less.” Jessie shrugged and shuffled around to face her lover.

“I mean, I love you, don’t I?” She smirked, relishing in the few seconds it took for James brain to finally understand what she’d said.

“Hey-“ He began to protest but was cut off by a well-timed kiss from Jessie. She pulled away just as quickly as it began and when James finally came to again, she had already turned her back to him.

“I love you, too.” He muttered before closing his eyes.

And while the storm outside tore through the city, of everything in the Rocket household was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: After the Hurricane, in which Meowth and Jessie take a trip to the Pokémon Center.
> 
> Stay tuned for Sleepover: A two parter starring Meowth and Pikachu!
> 
> But be warned that nano is coming up (for those of you that do not know what nanowrimo is, it is NAtional NOvel WRiting MOnth. Pretty self explanatory, through all the month of November writers have to write one 50,000 word novel. It is exhausting, but rewarding.) so updates throughout the month of November will be nonexistent. Sorry! But as soon as I go on sweet, sweet winter break, updates will become regular once again!
> 
> Have a wonderful day and thanks for reading!


	6. Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meowth procrastinated on his speech for the Normal-type Pokémon convention. Much like me procrastinating on finishing the first draft of my NaNo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the month long hiatus guys! NaNo was brutal...but something good came out of it! A currently 65k word Rocketshipping fanfic that I’ll be posting soon! I hope you enjoyed this little ditty in between! Remember to R&R!! <3

Meowth prouded himself on his many abilities. From making noodles and malasadas to building the thousands of mechs, they were all things no common street Meowth was able to do. Meowth was even able to speak human language. At least, he thought he he knew human language. He was currently three long, strenuous hours into his speech for the Normal-type Pokémon expo, or Eevee-con, as many people liked to call it. Frankly, Meowth thought the name was misleading and would cause confusion with the actual Eeveelution expo that was happening in a few months. Though, Eevee was the most common Pokémon found at the expo, due to its status as most popular normal type. He didn’t understand what the big whoop was, Eevee is just so popular because of its many forms it can take on during evolution. What’s the point of having an Eevee if you’re not going to evolve it? Maybe he should add that into his speech...

On second thought, he didn’t want a thousand angry Eevee fans chasing after him. Been there done that.

Meowth slammed his head against the table in frustration. The expo was in less than a day and all he had on his paper was a bunch of unintelligible scribble and sentences that he was sure weren’t even grammatically correct. When he was talking, he didn’t feel the need to be formal or use lots of fancy words. He just spoke whatever he thought in the way that he thought it. If he said something wrong he would never know because everyone would just understand and not point it out. But that has lead to the scratch cat constantly second guessing every sentence, even though deep down he knew it was correctly written. Besides, he didn’t even know what to write about. His life? How he learned to speak human? His experience as a normal type? 

“Gah! Stupid fucking speech!” Meowth spat in frustration, slamming his fists down on the table.

“Are you done?” Came a feminine voice from the direction of the bedroom. Meowth glared in her direction as he took the paper in front of him, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the bedroom.

“Wobbuffet!”

“Look what you did, you hit Wobbuffet!” 

“Wobbuffet...” The Pokémon cried, feigning hurt. Meowth could hear Wobbuffet hobble over toward who he could assume was Jessie and beg for attention.

“Oh, please. It’s just a piece of fucking paper, how could that even remotely affect you?” Meowth turned around to yell at the blue blob, who was happily babbling away and Jessie pet its bulbous head.

“Aw, is someone jealous?” Jessie cooed teasingly, causing Meowth’s face to turn red at the insinuation. He was not jealous. He was tired, he was hungry, he was stressed, he was many things. But jealous that Wobbuffet was warm in his spot on the bed getting pets by Jessie? Never.

“Shut up! Now can you come help me?” Meowth hollered at Jessie, who chuckled maliciously. She was not going to make this easy, was she?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. Could you speak up?” Jessie shot back, clearly enjoying herself.

“Never mind, I’ll ask James.” Meowth muttered and hopped off the chair to get more paper.

“Meowth, I asked you multiple times earlier if you wanted help and you said no. Now its one in the morning and I want to sleep. You’re on your own, old chum.” James tiredly replied before yawning.

“Damn you.” The scratch cat muttered as he continued searching for paper. He walked over to the kitchen and angrily threw open covers in search of the elusive paper. Jessie had been the one to hand him a large stack of paper when he’d sat down to work, but now that supply was completely gone. The crumpled pieces were scattered on and around the dining room table, full of scribble and inky paw prints. The ink of the cheap pens Jessie and James bought would smudge whenever he accidentally brushed his fur across it, which made writing something legible almost impossible. Of course, it wouldn’t have needed to be completely legible if Meowth had written and practiced the speech before the day of.

“Stupid Ash and Pikachu...” Meowth growled. It was their fault he was in this mess. With Ash’s Mr. Mime’s incredible luck, the Pokémon had yet again won another raffle. This time it was four tickets for an all expense paid trip to the Resort Area in Sinnoh. Since Ash and his mom were only two people, they offered the tickets to Jessie and James. Who, of course, chose the week right before the expo to go. Meowth couldn’t even enjoy his vacation to the fullest, he was too busy worrying about how he could get his speech done on time. The scratch cat still did not have an answer.

“Need some help?”

Meowth jumped up in alarm, unsheathing his claws in an instant and sticking to one of the cabinet doors.

“Are you kidding me, Meowth? Now there’s holes all across the cabinet!” Jessie exclaimed in alarm, grabbing a still shaken Meowth by the scruff of his neck and pulling him off the door. 

“Put...me..down!” Meowth pawed at the air, trying to reach Jessie with sharpened claws. But she kept him a safe distance away before plopping the Pokémon down on the cabinet top. Meowth immediately smoothed his fur down from where Jessie had grabbed it, glaring daggers at her once he was finished.

“Gee, I get your stressed, Meowth, but there’s no need to be an ass about it. Here.” Jessie opened one of the topmost cabinets and pulled out several piece of paper and a pencil. She once again grabbed Meowth, though this time in a much more dignified matter, and strolled nonchalantly towards the dining table.

After unceremoniously dropping Meowth on his chair and placing the paper and pencil in front of him, Jessie took a seat on the opposing end of the table. Meowth awkwardly took the pencil in his hand and fiddled with it. He started by writing his name at the top for no particular reason. It wasn’t a stupid kiddie assignment, it was to be the first ever speech delivered by an actual, talking Pokémon. 

“Well?” Jessie asked expectantly, still waiting for Meowth to either start writing or speak up.

“What?”

“What’s the hold up? Start writing!” Jessie said as if it was the easiest thing in the world for him to do. As if she was asking him to do a task as simple as taking out the garbage.

“Jess...” Meowth said as calmly as he could muster, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing. “I have been sitting here, in this very chair, for SIX FUCKING HOURS trying to write something, anything! And you think just because you tell me to ‘start writing’ the words are just gonna magically appear outta thin air or something?” 

Jessie just stared blankly at him before promptly getting up and walking away towards the bedroom. It took Meowth approximately seven nanoseconds for him to realize that he had royally screwed up.

“Jessie, wait-“ He tried to call after her, but it was too late. She had already shut the bedroom door. Meowth’s ears twitched soon after as he heard the telltale click of the lock on the door. He had driven his only lifeline away.

Meowth groaned and let his head fall into his paws. What was he supposed to do now? Jessie was angry, James was sleeping, and time seemed to be ticking away faster than ever. Maybe he could call Ash and Pikachu? Ash would definitely be mad if Meowth caught him while he was asleep. However, it wouldn’t be the first time that Meowth called late at night and Ash was still up talking on the phone with some of his friends from other regions. But would the ten year old even have sound advice for him? As far as Meowth was concerned, the kid didn’t even go to school anymore, he was always too busy with his internship at the institute along with Gou. But even so, the kid probably had more human vocabulary that he had, and that would be a great help in making his speech sound more professional.

Making up his mind, Meowth hopped off the chair and began walking towards the bedroom door. He didn’t know if Jessie and James would answer him, but he was going to try anyways. He should really look into getting a phone. 

“Jess? Jim? Can I borrow your phone?” Meowth sweetly, knocking firmly on the door. No reply.

“I know you’re still awake, Jessie. If you don’t wanna help, that’s fine, but at least let me borrow James’ phone.” Meowth stated, dropping the sugary sweet act and knocking more insistently this time. He heard harsh whispering and shuffling from inside, even a whiny-sounding Wobbuffet piped up, asking what all the fuss was about. 

A few moments later, the door was unlocked and opened. James stoop in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily and sporting a full crown of bed head. Meowth almost felt bad for waking him up. Almost.

“Okay, Meowth, what do you need?” James asked tiredly, stifling a yawn. Meowth saw that James had his phone with him, but why call Ash when help was standing right in front of him? Well, it wasn’t really standing, more like leaning on the doorframe, but that was besides the point.

“Jimmy, you’ve gotta help me. I don’t know what else to do?” Meowth begged. The scratch cat put his paws together and tried his best to put on a pair of pleading Lilipup eyes for added effect. James just stared at him at him for a few seconds before nodding and trodding forward toward the table. Meowth excitedly followed close behind, his tired eyes lighting up with hope. James probably grew up with a million tutors teaching him all sorts of words, which meant that his speech would come out better than if Jessie or Ash had helped. Maybe, if he played his cards right, James could even write the whole thing for him!

James slid into the nearest chair, which happened to be Meowth’s designed writing chair. It irked the scratch cat, but he didn’t want to repeat what happened with Jessie. So Meowth simply clambered onto the chair closest to James’ and grabbed all of his stuff, including the half eaten Poképuff Meowth was too tired to eat. His friend didn’t seem to even realize what he had just done, in fact, Meowth was certain James’ eyes were completely closed.

“Oi, wake up! We have a speech to write!” Meowth snapped his fingers in front of James, causing him to open his eyes and stare at James tiredly.

“No, you have a speech to write. I’m just helping.” James stated pointedly, causing Meowth to roll his eyes.  
“Whatever, just tell me what to write.” Meowth said, absentmindedly writing his name on the top of the page again, only to realize that he had already written it on the other side. He really needed some sleep.

“Well, what have you got?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? You’ve been sitting here for almost six hours and you’ve got nothing?” James asked incredulously, raising his voice and causing Meowth to flinch.

“Yes, now are you gonna help or what?” Meowth shot back, glad that James at least seemed partly awake now.

“Well, what exactly do you want to talk about?” James asked him, picking up a pen and a piece of paper.

“Dunno, that’s what you’re here for.” The scratch cat replied nonchalantly, unsheathing a claw and picking bits of wood off it. James could only stare tiredly at Meowth before putting his hands in his head and sighing loudly. 

“That’s it, I’m going back to bed.” James declared and stood up, causing Meowth to panic. James could not leave him now, Ash was probably already asleep and Meowth was halfway there himself. It was at this point that Meowth truly started to realize the gravity of the situation. If he didn’t have a magnificently crafted speech by tomorrow afternoon, it would be over for him. The convention had been promoting his appearance left and right, and if he didn’t deliver...

Meowth didn’t want to think about that.

“Wait! James, please.” In an instant, Meowth was at his side, clutching his hand tightly to prevent James from leaving.

“I’m sorry I waited this long to ask for help. I should have put my pride aside and just asked. But, please, stay. I can’t do this alone.” 

James looked indecisive for a moment before loosening his hand away from Meowth’s grasp and sitting back down.

“Alright, I’ll stay. But this is what we’re going to do...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was finished at 2:35 in the morning. I am tired. Also, this is *meant* to have a sequel but I’m not sure if it will be written soon, as I am busy with wrapping the absolute hot mess that is my NaNo.


End file.
